- A
Amazon DynamoDB
Why wrong: Amazon DynamoDB is a fully managed NoSQL key-value and document database, not a relational database. It does not natively support MySQL or provide automatic multi-AZ failover in the same way as RDS Multi-AZ. While DynamoDB offers high availability, it is not suited for migrating an existing MySQL transactional workload.
- B
Amazon RDS with Multi-AZ deployment
Amazon RDS with Multi-AZ deployment is the correct choice. RDS provides a fully managed relational database service compatible with MySQL. Multi-AZ creates a synchronous standby replica in a different Availability Zone, ensuring automatic failover if the primary instance fails. RDS also automates patching, backups, and replication, meeting all stated requirements.
- C
Amazon EC2 with a self-managed MySQL installation
Why wrong: Running MySQL on an EC2 instance is not a fully managed solution. The company would be responsible for database patching, backup scheduling, replication setup, and failover management. This increases operational overhead, contradicting the company's goal to reduce it.
- D
Amazon Redshift
Why wrong: Amazon Redshift is a fully managed petabyte-scale data warehouse service, optimized for analytical queries on large datasets. It is not designed for transactional workloads like an e-commerce application's MySQL database, nor does it provide automatic Multi-AZ failover for MySQL compatibility.
CLF-C02 Cloud Technology and Services Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cloud technology and services. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An e-commerce company runs a MySQL database on-premises to support its transactional workload. The company plans to migrate this database to AWS to reduce operational overhead. The company requires a fully managed database solution that automatically replicates data across multiple Availability Zones to provide failover in the event of an Availability Zone failure. The company does not want to manage database patching, backup scheduling, or replication. Which AWS service should the company use to meet these requirements?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon RDS with Multi-AZ deployment
Amazon RDS with Multi-AZ deployment is the correct choice because it provides a fully managed MySQL database that automatically replicates data synchronously across multiple Availability Zones, enabling automatic failover in the event of an AZ failure. AWS handles patching, backup scheduling, and replication management, meeting the company's requirement to reduce operational overhead.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Amazon DynamoDB
Why it's wrong here
Amazon DynamoDB is a fully managed NoSQL key-value and document database, not a relational database. It does not natively support MySQL or provide automatic multi-AZ failover in the same way as RDS Multi-AZ. While DynamoDB offers high availability, it is not suited for migrating an existing MySQL transactional workload.
- ✓
Amazon RDS with Multi-AZ deployment
Why this is correct
Amazon RDS with Multi-AZ deployment is the correct choice. RDS provides a fully managed relational database service compatible with MySQL. Multi-AZ creates a synchronous standby replica in a different Availability Zone, ensuring automatic failover if the primary instance fails. RDS also automates patching, backups, and replication, meeting all stated requirements.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amazon EC2 with a self-managed MySQL installation
Why it's wrong here
Running MySQL on an EC2 instance is not a fully managed solution. The company would be responsible for database patching, backup scheduling, replication setup, and failover management. This increases operational overhead, contradicting the company's goal to reduce it.
When this WOULD be correct
A company needs full control over the MySQL database configuration, including custom plugins, specific MySQL versions not supported by RDS, or requires direct access to the underlying operating system for performance tuning or security compliance.
- ✗
Amazon Redshift
Why it's wrong here
Amazon Redshift is a fully managed petabyte-scale data warehouse service, optimized for analytical queries on large datasets. It is not designed for transactional workloads like an e-commerce application's MySQL database, nor does it provide automatic Multi-AZ failover for MySQL compatibility.
When this WOULD be correct
A company needs to migrate a large on-premises data warehouse to AWS for business intelligence and reporting, requiring a fully managed, petabyte-scale solution that automatically replicates data across AZs. Amazon Redshift with RA3 nodes and cross-AZ snapshots would be the correct choice.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The CLF-C02 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Amazon RDS with Multi-AZ deploymentCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Amazon RDS with Multi-AZ deployment is the correct choice. RDS provides a fully managed relational database service compatible with MySQL. Multi-AZ creates a synchronous standby replica in a different Availability Zone, ensuring automatic failover if the primary instance fails. RDS also automates patching, backups, and replication, meeting all stated requirements.
✗Amazon EC2 with a self-managed MySQL installationWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Amazon EC2 with a self-managed MySQL installation does not provide a fully managed database solution; the company would still need to manage patching, backup scheduling, and replication manually, which contradicts the requirement to reduce operational overhead.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company needs full control over the MySQL database configuration, including custom plugins, specific MySQL versions not supported by RDS, or requires direct access to the underlying operating system for performance tuning or security compliance.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that running MySQL on EC2 is a valid migration path to AWS, but they overlook that it is not fully managed and still requires significant administrative effort for patching, backups, and replication.
✗Amazon RedshiftWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Amazon Redshift is a data warehousing service optimized for analytical queries on large datasets, not for transactional workloads like MySQL. It does not support MySQL compatibility or Multi-AZ replication for failover as required.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company needs to migrate a large on-premises data warehouse to AWS for business intelligence and reporting, requiring a fully managed, petabyte-scale solution that automatically replicates data across AZs. Amazon Redshift with RA3 nodes and cross-AZ snapshots would be the correct choice.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse Redshift's managed nature and replication capabilities with those of a transactional database, or mistakenly think it supports MySQL workloads due to its SQL interface.
Analysis generated from the official CLF-C02blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse Amazon DynamoDB's built-in Multi-AZ replication with the requirement for a MySQL relational database, or assume that a self-managed EC2 instance can meet the 'fully managed' requirement by using additional services like Auto Scaling.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Amazon RDS Multi-AZ deployments use synchronous replication to a standby instance in a different Availability Zone, ensuring zero data loss during failover (asynchronous replication is not used). The failover is automatic and typically completes within 60-120 seconds, with the DNS endpoint automatically updated to point to the standby instance, so applications can reconnect without manual intervention.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
Visual reference
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Cloud Technology and Services — This question tests Cloud Technology and Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Amazon RDS with Multi-AZ deployment — Amazon RDS with Multi-AZ deployment is the correct choice because it provides a fully managed MySQL database that automatically replicates data synchronously across multiple Availability Zones, enabling automatic failover in the event of an AZ failure. AWS handles patching, backup scheduling, and replication management, meeting the company's requirement to reduce operational overhead.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This CLF-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CLF-C02 exam.
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