DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
A company is using an RDS for PostgreSQL instance and wants to minimize downtime during a major version upgrade. Which approach should be taken?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently assume a snapshot-and-restore (Option D) is the fastest method because it seems like a simple copy, but they overlook the fact that the snapshot itself requires the instance to be operational and the restore creates a new instance that is not automatically kept in sync, leading to longer overall downtime compared to the replica promotion method.
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
✓
Create a read replica of the DB instance, upgrade the replica, and then promote it to the primary instance.
Creating a read replica of the RDS for PostgreSQL instance, upgrading the replica to the new major version, and then promoting it to become the primary instance minimizes downtime by allowing the replica to be upgraded while the original primary remains fully operational. The promotion process is fast (typically seconds), and the only downtime is the brief cutover period when applications switch to the promoted replica. This approach leverages RDS's managed replication and avoids the longer downtime associated with direct in-place upgrades.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Create a read replica of the DB instance, upgrade the replica, and then promote it to the primary instance.
Why this is correct
Minimizes downtime by failing over to the upgraded replica.
- ✗
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to migrate data to a new upgraded instance.
Why it's wrong here
DMS is for migrations, not for minimizing upgrade downtime in the same instance.
- ✗
Modify the DB instance and apply the upgrade immediately.
Why it's wrong here
This causes downtime during the upgrade.
- ✗
Take a snapshot of the DB instance and restore it as a new instance with the upgraded version.
Why it's wrong here
Restoring from snapshot takes time and causes downtime.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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