- A
RDS Multi-AZ deployment
Why wrong: Multi-AZ provides automatic failover to a standby but the standby doesn't serve read traffic — it's a hot standby for write-only failover. Read Replicas serve read traffic.
- B
RDS Read Replicas
Read Replicas create asynchronous read-only copies that serve read traffic (improving performance) and can be manually promoted to standalone databases if the primary fails.
- C
RDS Automated Backups
Why wrong: Automated backups provide point-in-time recovery by restoring to a new instance — they don't provide active read distribution or fast failover capability.
- D
RDS Performance Insights
Why wrong: Performance Insights provides database performance monitoring and query analysis — it's not a replication or high-availability feature.
Amazon RDS Read Replicas for Read Scaling and Resilience
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cloud technology and services. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
A company wants to improve the resilience of their Amazon RDS database by ensuring that read traffic is distributed across multiple copies of the database and that a replica can be promoted if the primary fails. Which RDS feature enables this?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
RDS Read Replicas
Amazon RDS Read Replicas allow you to create one or more copies of your database instance that serve read traffic, offloading read queries from the primary DB instance. In the event of a primary failure, a Read Replica can be manually promoted to a standalone primary instance, providing resilience and continuity for read-heavy workloads. This directly matches the requirement to distribute read traffic and enable replica promotion.
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.
- ✗
RDS Multi-AZ deployment
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ provides automatic failover to a standby but the standby doesn't serve read traffic — it's a hot standby for write-only failover. Read Replicas serve read traffic.
- ✓
RDS Read Replicas
Why this is correct
Read Replicas create asynchronous read-only copies that serve read traffic (improving performance) and can be manually promoted to standalone databases if the primary fails.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
RDS Automated Backups
Why it's wrong here
Automated backups provide point-in-time recovery by restoring to a new instance — they don't provide active read distribution or fast failover capability.
- ✗
RDS Performance Insights
Why it's wrong here
Performance Insights provides database performance monitoring and query analysis — it's not a replication or high-availability feature.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse Multi-AZ with Read Replicas, assuming Multi-AZ also distributes read traffic, but Multi-AZ's standby is passive and only used for automatic failover, not for serving reads or manual promotion.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
RDS Read Replicas use asynchronous replication based on the DB engine's native replication (e.g., MySQL's binlog replication or PostgreSQL's streaming replication). The replica lag can vary depending on workload, and during promotion, any unsynchronized transactions may be lost. In a real-world scenario, you might configure multiple Read Replicas across different regions for disaster recovery, but promotion is manual and requires updating application connection strings.
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
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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: RDS Read Replicas — Amazon RDS Read Replicas allow you to create one or more copies of your database instance that serve read traffic, offloading read queries from the primary DB instance. In the event of a primary failure, a Read Replica can be manually promoted to a standalone primary instance, providing resilience and continuity for read-heavy workloads. This directly matches the requirement to distribute read traffic and enable replica promotion.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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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