Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A company runs a critical e-commerce application that uses an Amazon RDS for MySQL database deployed in a single Availability Zone. The company needs to ensure that the database remains available if the underlying hardware or the entire Availability Zone fails. The solution must provide automatic failover with minimal downtime and must not require any changes to the application's database connection string. Which Amazon RDS feature should the company use to meet these requirements?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
Deploy a Read Replica in another Availability Zone and configure the application to use it as a failover target
Read Replicas are designed for scaling read traffic and do not provide automatic failover. Promoting a Read Replica to become a primary instance requires manual intervention, which does not meet the requirement for automatic failover and minimal downtime.
B
Distractor review
Enable automated backups with point-in-time recovery
Automated backups and point-in-time recovery allow you to restore your database to a specific point in time, but the restore process is not automatic and can take significant time. This does not provide the active high availability or automatic failover required.
C
Distractor review
Manually provision a standby database instance in another Availability Zone and configure a custom failover script
While this approach could theoretically provide failover, it requires significant manual effort to manage synchronization, monitor health, and trigger failover. Amazon RDS Multi-AZ automates all these steps, including updating the DNS endpoint, so the application connection string remains unchanged. A manual solution does not meet the requirement for minimal downtime and simplicity.
D
Best answer
Configure a Multi-AZ deployment for the Amazon RDS database instance
Multi-AZ deployments create a synchronous standby replica in a different Availability Zone. Amazon RDS automatically handles failover to the standby replica when a failure is detected, and updates the DNS record so that the same connection endpoint continues to work without any application changes. This meets all the stated requirements.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A developer needs to launch a test server for a new application prototype. The developer logs into the AWS Management Console, selects an Amazon EC2 instance type, configures the security group, and starts the instance. The instance is running within two minutes, and the developer did not need to submit a formal request to the company's IT procurement team or wait for approval from a cloud administrator. Which essential characteristic of cloud computing does this scenario best demonstrate?
Question 2
A solutions architect is planning a new web application on AWS. The workload will include 3 Amazon EC2 instances (t3.medium) running 24/7, an Application Load Balancer, and an Amazon RDS for MySQL db.t3.small database. The architect needs to estimate the monthly cost for the first year, considering different purchasing options (On-Demand, 1-year All Upfront Reserved Instance, and Compute Savings Plan). Which AWS tool should the architect use to create this estimate?
Question 3
A company's development team frequently needs temporary test environments. A developer can log into the AWS Management Console, select an Amazon EC2 instance type, configure storage, and launch the instance within minutes without any interaction with the IT infrastructure team. This capability is an example of which essential characteristic of cloud computing?
Question 4
A company's finance team needs to analyze AWS spending in detail. They require a report that includes hourly cost data for each AWS service, each individual resource (e.g., a specific EC2 instance), and any cost allocation tags applied. The team plans to export this data to an Amazon S3 bucket and then import it into a custom business intelligence (BI) analytics dashboard. Which AWS tool should the finance team use to generate this level of detailed cost data?
Question 5
A company uses AWS for its development environment. The finance team wants to set a monthly budget of $10,000. They want to receive an email notification when the actual costs reach 80% of the budget ($8,000) and again when costs exceed the budget. The team needs a managed AWS service that can automatically send these alerts without requiring custom code or third-party tools. Which AWS service should the team use?
Question 6
A company uses AWS Organizations to manage multiple accounts. The security team needs to enforce a policy that restricts SSH access (port 22) from the internet (0.0.0.0/0) in all VPCs across all accounts. The team wants to centrally define the allowed rules and automatically apply them to newly created VPCs and security groups, while also automatically remediating any existing non-compliant security groups. Which AWS service should the team use?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure a Multi-AZ deployment for the Amazon RDS database instance — Amazon RDS Multi-AZ deployments automatically provision and maintain a synchronous standby replica in a different Availability Zone. In the event of a failure of the primary database instance or an Availability Zone outage, Amazon RDS automatically fails over to the standby replica, updating the DNS record so that applications can continue operating without requiring manual intervention or connection string changes. This provides high availability with minimal downtime. Other options do not meet the requirement for automatic failover without application changes: Read Replicas are primarily for read scaling and require manual promotion; automated backups support point-in-time recovery but do not provide automatic failover; and a manual standby instance lacks the automated management and DNS update capabilities of a Multi-AZ deployment.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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