An application owner wants to ensure that traffic is only sent to a web server in the pool when its connection to a back-end database is fully functional. Which approach will ensure this goal?

Question

Options

• ACreate a DataScript that performs a database lookup to the back-end database.
• BConfigure an External Health Monitor that performs a database lookup to the back-end database.
• CCreate a Virtual Service with the back-end database server as pool member, and configure a TCP
• DConfigure an HTTP Health Monitor to query a URI that returns a specific response if and only if a

• A
  4% (2)
• B
  7% (4)
• C
  72% (41)
• D
  18% (10)

Explanation

Option C is correct because it involves directly testing TCP connectivity to the back-end database server as part of the pool member's health check. By making the database reachability check a condition for the web server's "up" status, the load balancer will only route traffic to web servers that can actually reach and connect to the database - this validates the full application path, not just whether the web server process is running.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A (DataScript): DataScripts execute during live request processing for traffic manipulation or policy enforcement - they are not health monitoring tools and cannot gate pool member availability.
• B (External Health Monitor): External monitors run scripts/checks against the pool member itself, not against its dependencies. They verify the member is up, but don't inherently validate that member's connection to a downstream service like a database.
• D (HTTP Health Monitor): An HTTP monitor checking a URI can work in practice, but it depends on the application correctly implementing and exposing a health endpoint - it tests whether the app reports a healthy database connection, rather than directly verifying the TCP path to the database.

Memory tip: Think "check the dependency, not the reporter." The web server can be fully up and responding to HTTP while the database connection is broken. Only a health check that directly tests the path to the database guarantees end-to-end functionality - which is what C provides.

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