The answer is to configure automated backups, enable Multi-AZ, and set up a cross-region read replica. Automated backups provide point-in-time recovery within the 5-minute RPO by capturing transaction logs continuously, while Multi-AZ handles an Availability Zone failure with automatic failover to meet the 2-hour RTO. The cross-region read replica, when promoted, offers faster recovery in a separate region than restoring from a snapshot, directly supporting the disaster recovery plan. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of RDS disaster recovery trade-offs: automated backups and Multi-AZ are default best practices, but the trap is assuming snapshot export to S3 (archival) or deleting logs (breaks point-in-time recovery) are valid for low RPO/RTO. Remember the memory tip: “Backups for time, Multi-AZ for place, read replica for space” — each covers a different recovery dimension.
DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data operations and support. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 data engineer is designing a disaster recovery plan for an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL database. The database is 500 GB and has a multi-AZ deployment. The recovery point objective (RPO) is 5 minutes, and the recovery time objective (RTO) is 2 hours. Which THREE actions should the engineer take to meet these objectives?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable Multi-AZ deployment for automatic failover.
Option A, B, and D are correct. Automated backups (A) provide point-in-time recovery. Multi-AZ (B) provides automatic failover. Read replica promotion (D) can be faster for cross-region recovery. Option C is wrong because snapshot export to S3 is for archival, not fast recovery. Option E is wrong because deleting logs prevents point-in-time recovery.
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 Multi-AZ deployment for automatic failover.
Why this is correct
Multi-AZ provides automatic failover to standby in case of failure.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Enable automated backups with a retention period of 1 day.
Why this is correct
Automated backups enable point-in-time recovery within retention period.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Take daily manual snapshots and export them to Amazon S3.
Why it's wrong here
Export to S3 is for long-term archival, not for fast recovery.
✗
Disable automatic backups to reduce storage costs.
Configure a cross-region read replica for faster recovery in another region.
Why this is correct
Cross-region read replica can be promoted for disaster recovery.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
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.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Data Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable Multi-AZ deployment for automatic failover. — Option A, B, and D are correct. Automated backups (A) provide point-in-time recovery. Multi-AZ (B) provides automatic failover. Read replica promotion (D) can be faster for cross-region recovery. Option C is wrong because snapshot export to S3 is for archival, not fast recovery. Option E is wrong because deleting logs prevents point-in-time recovery.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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 data engineer is designing a disaster recovery plan for an Amazon RDS for MySQL database. The database must have a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of less than 5 minutes and a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of less than 30 minutes. Which TWO actions should the engineer take to meet these requirements?
medium
✓ A.Enable automated backups with a 1-day retention period and point-in-time recovery.
✓ B.Enable Multi-AZ deployment.
C.Enable automated backups with a 5-minute retention period.
D.Create a cross-Region read replica.
E.Use a single-AZ instance with a standby in another Region.
Why A: Options B and D are correct. Multi-AZ provides automatic failover to a standby in another AZ, meeting RTO. Automated backups with point-in-time recovery provide RPO of 5 minutes. Option A is wrong because read replicas are for read scaling, not DR. Option C is wrong because cross-Region read replicas have higher RTO due to manual promotion. Option E is wrong because single-AZ does not provide automatic failover.
Variation 2. A data engineer is designing a disaster recovery strategy for an Amazon RDS for MySQL database with Multi-AZ deployment. Which THREE actions should the engineer take to meet a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 5 minutes and a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of 15 minutes? (Choose THREE.)
hard
✓ A.Enable automated backups with a retention period of 7 days.
✓ B.Create a cross-region read replica to another AWS region.
C.Configure the DB instance to be Single-AZ for simplicity.
D.Export automated snapshots to an S3 bucket in a different region.
✓ E.Enable Multi-AZ deployment for automatic failover.
Why A: Options A, B, and D provide fast failover and minimal data loss. Option A ensures automatic failover to a standby in another AZ. Option B (cross-region read replica) can be promoted in minutes. Option D (automated backups) provide point-in-time recovery. Option C (snapshots to S3) is slower and may not meet RTO. Option E (Single-AZ) increases risk.
Variation 3. A data engineer is designing a disaster recovery strategy for an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL database that is used in a data pipeline. The database must have a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of less than 1 minute and a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of less than 5 minutes. Which TWO actions should the engineer take?
medium
A.Take frequent manual snapshots and copy them to another Region.
✓ B.Enable automated backups with point-in-time recovery.
✓ C.Enable Multi-AZ deployment with a standby instance.
D.Create a read replica in a different Availability Zone.
E.Use cross-Region replication with Amazon Aurora Global Database.
Why B: Options B and D are correct. Multi-AZ with standby provides automatic failover with RTO typically under 1-2 minutes, and automated backups with point-in-time recovery enable RPO of seconds. Option A is wrong because read replicas are not for automatic failover. Option C is wrong because snapshots are manual and have higher RPO/RTO. Option E is wrong because cross-Region replication adds latency and may not meet RPO.
Variation 4. A data engineer needs to set up a disaster recovery solution for an Amazon RDS for MySQL database. The database must be available in another AWS Region with minimal data loss. What is the simplest approach?
easy
A.Enable Multi-AZ deployment in the same Region.
B.Set up AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) for continuous replication.
C.Take a manual snapshot and copy it to the other Region daily.
✓ D.Create a cross-Region read replica of the database.
Why D: Option B is correct because a cross-Region read replica provides asynchronous replication and can be promoted in a disaster. Option A is wrong because Multi-AZ is within a region. Option C is wrong because a manual export/import is not real-time. Option D is wrong because DMS requires ongoing replication setup and is more complex.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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