The answer is to enable Multi-AZ in the primary region and create a cross-region read replica. This configuration satisfies both requirements because Multi-AZ deploys a synchronous standby in a different Availability Zone within the primary region, ensuring automatic failover for high availability, while the cross-region read replica provides an asynchronous, readable copy in the secondary region that can be promoted to a standalone primary during a regional outage. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of the distinct roles of Multi-AZ versus read replicas: Multi-AZ is for intra-region fault tolerance, not for disaster recovery across regions, and cross-region read replicas are the only native RDS feature for inter-region DR with PostgreSQL. A common trap is confusing Multi-AZ with cross-region replication—remember that Multi-AZ is a single-region safety net, while cross-region read replicas are your multi-region lifeboat. Memory tip: "AZ for availability, region for recovery."
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 data engineer is designing a multi-region disaster recovery solution for Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL. The primary region must have a standby in a different Availability Zone, and the secondary region must have a readable replica that can be promoted in case of failure. Which configuration meets these requirements?
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 the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable Multi-AZ in the primary region and create a cross-region read replica
Option B is correct because it meets both requirements: Multi-AZ in the primary region provides a synchronous standby in a different Availability Zone for high availability, and a cross-region read replica in the secondary region provides an asynchronous, readable copy that can be promoted to a standalone primary during a regional failure. This combination ensures both intra-region fault tolerance and inter-region disaster 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.
✗
Use a single-AZ primary and enable automatic backups
Why it's wrong here
No standby and no cross-region replica.
✓
Enable Multi-AZ in the primary region and create a cross-region read replica
Why this is correct
Multi-AZ provides standby; cross-region replica provides DR.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use a single-AZ primary and create a cross-region read replica
Why it's wrong here
No standby within primary region.
✗
Enable Multi-AZ in both primary and secondary regions
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ in secondary region is not necessary; no cross-region replica.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Multi-AZ (synchronous, for high availability within a region) with cross-region read replicas (asynchronous, for disaster recovery), and may incorrectly assume that Multi-AZ alone provides cross-region failover or that a single-AZ primary with a read replica satisfies the intra-region standby requirement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Amazon RDS Multi-AZ uses synchronous replication to maintain a standby in a different AZ, ensuring zero data loss during an AZ failure, while cross-region read replicas use asynchronous replication (based on PostgreSQL's streaming replication) and can be promoted to a standalone instance in minutes. A common real-world scenario is a multi-region active-passive architecture where the secondary region's read replica serves read traffic and is promoted only during a regional disaster, minimizing RTO.
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.
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: Enable Multi-AZ in the primary region and create a cross-region read replica — Option B is correct because it meets both requirements: Multi-AZ in the primary region provides a synchronous standby in a different Availability Zone for high availability, and a cross-region read replica in the secondary region provides an asynchronous, readable copy that can be promoted to a standalone primary during a regional failure. This combination ensures both intra-region fault tolerance and inter-region disaster recovery.
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.
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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Question Discussion
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