AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C02) — Question 771

A company is implementing a shared storage solution for a media application that is hosted in the AWS Cloud. The company needs to ability to use SMB clients to access data. The solution must be fully managed.
Which solution meets these requirements?

Answer options

• A. Create an AWS Storage Gateway volume gateway. Create a file share that uses the required client protocol. Connect the application server to the file share.
• B. Create an AWS Storage Gateway tape gateway. Configure tapes to use Amazon S3. Connect the application server to the tape gateway.
• C. Create an Amazon EC2 Windows instance. Install and configure a Windows file share role on the instance. Connect the application server to the file system.
• D. Create an Amazon FSx for Windows File Server file system. Attach the file system to the origin server. Connect the application server to the file system.

Correct answer: D

Explanation

Amazon FSx for Windows File Server is a fully managed file system that natively supports the SMB protocol, making it the ideal solution for AWS-hosted applications requiring shared storage. Option C is incorrect because running a Windows file share on an EC2 instance requires manual management and patching. Options A and B are incorrect because AWS Storage Gateway is designed for hybrid environments, and tape gateways are meant for backup archival rather than active application file sharing.