The correct configuration is to set the backup retention period to 35 days and enable automatic backups. This works because Amazon RDS for MySQL uses automated backups to capture daily snapshots and transaction logs, which together enable point-in-time recovery (PITR) to any second within the retention window. By setting the retention period to 35 days, you ensure that both the daily snapshots and the transaction log backups are retained for the full duration, allowing restoration to any point within that 35-day window. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this concept tests your understanding of how automated backup retention directly enables PITR, and a common trap is confusing manual snapshots (which do not support PITR) with automated backups. Remember that automated backups are the only way to achieve second-level recovery, while manual snapshots only restore to the snapshot time. A helpful memory tip: think of automated backups as a "continuous tape" that records every change, while manual snapshots are just single photographs.
DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 is using Amazon RDS for MySQL and needs to automate backups with a retention period of 35 days. They also want to be able to restore to any point within the retention period. Which configuration should be used?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Set the backup retention period to 35 days and enable automatic backups.
Amazon RDS for MySQL supports automated backups with a configurable retention period of up to 35 days. By setting the backup retention period to 35 days and enabling automatic backups, RDS automatically performs daily snapshots and transaction log backups, enabling point-in-time recovery (PITR) to any second within the retention window. This meets the requirement for both a 35-day retention and full PITR capability without manual intervention.
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.
✗
Enable manual snapshots daily and retain for 35 days.
Why it's wrong here
Manual snapshots require manual effort and do not support point-in-time recovery.
✓
Set the backup retention period to 35 days and enable automatic backups.
Why this is correct
Automated backups allow point-in-time recovery within the retention period.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Set the backup retention period to 7 days and create daily manual snapshots.
Why it's wrong here
7 days is insufficient and manual snapshots lack point-in-time recovery.
✗
Disable automated backups and rely on Multi-AZ for recovery.
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ provides failover, not backups.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse manual snapshots (which are retained indefinitely but do not support PITR) with automated backups (which support PITR but have a maximum retention of 35 days), leading them to choose Option A or C, thinking manual snapshots can extend the PITR window.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Automated backups in RDS for MySQL include daily automated snapshots and transaction log backups (binary logs) captured every 5 minutes, enabling PITR to any second within the retention period. The backup retention period can be set from 0 to 35 days; setting it to 35 days ensures that both the daily snapshots and the transaction logs are retained for the full 35 days, allowing restoration to any point within that window. Under the hood, RDS stores these backups in Amazon S3, and the transaction logs are purged only after the retention period expires, which is critical for compliance scenarios requiring long-term recovery granularity.
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.
Data Store Management — This question tests Data Store Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set the backup retention period to 35 days and enable automatic backups. — Amazon RDS for MySQL supports automated backups with a configurable retention period of up to 35 days. By setting the backup retention period to 35 days and enabling automatic backups, RDS automatically performs daily snapshots and transaction log backups, enabling point-in-time recovery (PITR) to any second within the retention window. This meets the requirement for both a 35-day retention and full PITR capability without manual intervention.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company is using Amazon RDS for MySQL and wants to automate backups for point-in-time recovery. Which TWO actions should be taken? (Choose TWO.)
easy
✓ A.Enable automated backups with a retention period.
B.Use AWS Backup to schedule backups.
✓ C.Set the backup retention period to the desired number of days.
D.Enable Multi-AZ deployment.
E.Take manual snapshots daily.
Why A: Options B and D are correct. Automated backups are enabled by default, and the retention period can be set up to 35 days. Option A is wrong because manual snapshots are not automated. Option C is wrong because Multi-AZ is for high availability, not backups. Option E is wrong because AWS Backup is an optional service but not required; RDS native backups suffice.
Variation 2. Which TWO AWS services can be used to automatically back up an Amazon RDS for SQL Server DB instance? (Choose TWO.)
easy
A.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
B.AWS Data Pipeline
✓ C.Amazon RDS automated backups
D.Amazon S3
✓ E.AWS Backup
Why C: RDS automated backups are enabled by default and retain backups for up to 35 days. AWS Backup is a centralized backup service that can manage RDS backups with custom policies and retention. Options A and C are correct. Option B: DMS is for migration, not backup. Option D: S3 is storage, not automatic backup service. Option E: Data Pipeline can orchestrate backups but is not the primary automatic backup service.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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This DEA-C01 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 DEA-C01 exam.
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