Low-latency and high-availability architectures are critical for applications that serve users across multiple geographic regions. AWS Global Accelerator is designed to improve application performance by routing user traffic through the AWS global network instead of the public internet. Because of this, it is a common topic in interviews for roles focused on performance optimization, networking, and distributed system design.
This blog presents a complete interview questions and answers guide on AWS Global Accelerator. It explains core concepts such as routing, latency optimization, availability, and performance in a clear and practical manner. The content is tailored to help candidates confidently answer both conceptual and scenario-based interview questions.
AWS Global Accelerator Interview Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is AWS Global Accelerator?
Answer: AWS Global Accelerator is a networking service that improves application performance by directing user traffic to the optimal AWS endpoint. It uses the AWS global network to reduce latency, packet loss, and jitter. Global Accelerator provides static IP addresses that act as a fixed entry point for applications, improving reliability and performance.
Question 2: How does Global Accelerator reduce latency?
Answer: Global Accelerator routes traffic from the user’s location to the nearest AWS edge location. From there, traffic travels across the AWS global backbone to the closest healthy endpoint. This approach avoids unpredictable internet paths and results in lower latency and more consistent performance.
Question 3: What types of endpoints are supported by Global Accelerator?
Answer: Global Accelerator supports several AWS resources as endpoints, including Application Load Balancers, Network Load Balancers, and EC2 instances. These endpoints can be distributed across multiple regions, allowing traffic to be routed to the nearest available endpoint.
Question 4: How does routing work in AWS Global Accelerator?
Answer: Routing in Global Accelerator is based on health checks, traffic policies, and geographic proximity. The service continuously monitors endpoint health and directs traffic only to healthy endpoints. Traffic is routed to the closest endpoint based on network distance, not just geographic distance, ensuring optimal performance.
Question 5: How does Global Accelerator improve availability?
Answer: Global Accelerator improves availability by automatically rerouting traffic away from unhealthy endpoints. If an endpoint or entire region becomes unavailable, traffic is shifted to the next closest healthy endpoint. This failover process is automatic and does not require DNS changes, making it faster than traditional DNS-based routing.
Question 6: What is the difference between Global Accelerator and DNS-based routing?
Answer: DNS-based routing relies on DNS resolution, which can be affected by caching and slower propagation. Global Accelerator uses static IP addresses and real-time health checks, allowing faster failover and more consistent routing decisions. This makes it better suited for applications requiring low latency and high availability.
Question 7: How does Global Accelerator support performance optimization?
Answer: Global Accelerator improves performance by reducing network hops, using optimized routing paths, and minimizing packet loss. Traffic flows through the AWS global network, which is designed for high throughput and reliability. This results in predictable performance even during traffic spikes.
Question 8: Can Global Accelerator be used with multi-region architectures?
Answer: Yes, Global Accelerator is commonly used in multi-region architectures. It allows traffic to be distributed across endpoints in different regions, improving both availability and latency. Interviewers often expect candidates to explain how Global Accelerator fits into active-active or active-passive architectures.
Question 9: How are health checks handled in Global Accelerator?
Answer: Global Accelerator continuously monitors the health of endpoints using built-in health checks. If an endpoint fails, traffic is automatically redirected to healthy endpoints. This ensures minimal disruption and maintains application availability without manual intervention.
Question 10: What security considerations apply to Global Accelerator?
Answer: Global Accelerator integrates with AWS Shield for protection against network-level attacks. It also works with load balancers and security groups to control inbound traffic. Since clients connect via static IPs, security rules can be simplified and more predictable.
Conclusion
AWS Global Accelerator is a powerful service for building low-latency and highly available architectures. Understanding how it optimizes routing, improves availability, and enhances performance is essential for architecture and networking-focused interviews. By mastering these concepts, candidates can confidently design and explain global application delivery strategies.
