What is a characteristic of an Elastic Network Interface (ENI)?

An Elastic Network Interface (ENI) is a virtual network interface that can be attached to an Amazon EC2 instance. One of its key characteristics is that it can support multiple IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. This capability allows instances to handle various networking tasks and scenarios, such as hosting multiple applications that may require distinct IP addresses or facilitating complex network architectures. By having multiple IP addresses, ENIs can enable EC2 instances to operate more flexibly within a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), improving scalability and resource management.

Furthermore, having this capability supports various use cases, such as:

• Assigning multiple public and private IPs to an instance.

• Supporting a multi-homed approach, where an instance can communicate on different networks using different IP addresses.

This rich feature set is instrumental in designing network architectures that are both resilient and adaptable, fitting seamlessly into diverse application requirements on AWS.