Question

Difficulty: MediumCost-Effective Network Routing and Data Transfer Optimization

An enterprise has two VPCs (VPC A and VPC B) in the same AWS Region. VPC A hosts a transaction processing application, and VPC B hosts a centralized logging cluster. The application streams approximately 60 TB60\text{ TB} of data monthly to the logging cluster. Currently, the two VPCs are connected via an AWS Transit Gateway. The enterprise wants to reduce the network data transfer costs for this log transmission while ensuring that all traffic remains private. Which two of the following configuration changes should a Solutions Architect recommend? (Choose two.)

  1. Establish a VPC Peering connection between VPC A and VPC B.Answer
  2. Update the route tables in both VPC A and VPC B to route the traffic destined for the logging cluster through the VPC Peering connection.Answer
  3. C
    Provision a NAT Gateway in the public subnet of each VPC and route the log traffic over the public internet.
  4. D
    Establish an AWS Site-to-Site VPN connection between the two VPCs to encrypt and route the log traffic.
  5. E
    Create an AWS Transit Gateway Connect attachment and route the traffic through a Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) tunnel.

Answer

Establish a VPC Peering connection between the two VPCs and update the route tables to route the log traffic through the VPC Peering connection instead of the Transit Gateway.
For transferring high volumes of data (such as 60 TB60\text{ TB} monthly) between two VPCs in the same AWS Region, establishing a VPC Peering connection is the most cost-effective option. Unlike AWS Transit Gateway, which charges a per-GB processing fee (0.02 USD0.02\text{ USD} per GB\text{GB}), VPC Peering has no data processing fees and no hourly connection charges. Traffic routed via VPC Peering only incurs standard inter-AZ data transfer fees if the traffic traverses Availability Zones (0.01 USD0.01\text{ USD} per GB\text{GB} in each direction). Updating the VPC route tables ensures that the database traffic is directed through the VPC Peering connection rather than the Transit Gateway.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the current architecture and costs.
The current setup uses AWS Transit Gateway to route 60 TB60\text{ TB} of data monthly between two VPCs in the same Region. Transit Gateway charges a data processing fee (0.02 USD0.02\text{ USD} per GB\text{GB} in most regions), resulting in a processing cost of 60×1000×0.02=1200 USD60 \times 1000 \times 0.02 = 1200\text{ USD} per month.
This establishes the baseline cost and identifies where the optimization can occur.
2
Evaluate alternative private routing mechanisms.
VPC Peering provides direct, private network connectivity between VPCs in the same Region. Unlike Transit Gateway, VPC Peering has no hourly connection fees or data processing charges. Traffic within the same Availability Zone is free, and cross-AZ traffic only incurs standard data transfer fees (0.01 USD0.01\text{ USD} per GB\text{GB}).
VPC Peering is identified as the most cost-effective routing solution for high-volume intra-region traffic.
3
Plan the implementation steps.
A VPC Peering connection must be created and accepted between VPC A and VPC B. Then, the route tables in the private subnets of both VPCs must be updated to direct traffic destined for the other VPC's CIDR block through the VPC Peering connection instead of the Transit Gateway.
This updates the routing path to bypass the Transit Gateway and leverage the cost-effective VPC Peering connection.

Key Concept

Choosing VPC Peering over Transit Gateway to minimize data processing fees for high-volume data transfer between VPCs in the same Region.
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