AWS Global Accelerator
Global network acceleration
Provides 2 static anycast IP addresses; users enter the AWS network at the nearest edge location, then travel over the AWS backbone to endpoints (ALB, NLB, EC2, Elastic IP), with health checks and cross-Region failover within seconds.
- Cost$$ Medium
- Difficulty●●●●●
- Costs money when idle?Yes
- Managed by AWS
- In examsSAA · SOA
Think of it asLike getting on the highway at the on-ramp near your home instead of driving back roads all the way.
When to use it
✓ Use it when
Global TCP/UDP applications that need static IPs and fast failover between Regions.
✗ Avoid it when
Cacheable HTTP content → CloudFront.
Common uses
- UDP game servers for players in many countries
- Fast multi-Region failover with unchanging IPs
- Static IP allowlisting for enterprise customers
What does it cost?
- Pricing model: Fixed hourly fee per accelerator plus a Data Transfer-Premium fee per GB.
Related services
SAA-C03 study guide
Global Accelerator is covered in these study modules: