DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
A data engineer needs to automate the backup of an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL database. Which AWS service can be used to schedule and manage the backups?
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
✓
AWS Backup
AWS Backup is a fully managed backup service that can automate backups of RDS databases. Option A (Amazon S3) is incorrect because S3 is an object storage service, not a backup scheduling service. Option B (AWS Lambda) is incorrect because while Lambda can be used for custom automation, it is not the primary managed service for backup scheduling. Option D (Amazon CloudWatch) is incorrect because CloudWatch is for monitoring and observability, not backup management.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Amazon S3
Why it's wrong here
Amazon S3 stores objects and lifecycle policies, but it cannot schedule or manage RDS for PostgreSQL backups; RDS automated backups and snapshots are handled by AWS Backup or RDS itself. S3 is tempting because it holds exported snapshot data, and would be correct for storing manual database exports or hosting static backup files.
- ✗
AWS Lambda
Why it's wrong here
Lambda executes code on a schedule but does not manage RDS backup retention, snapshots or restore points; it would only invoke API calls. It is tempting as a generic scheduler, and would be correct for custom logic that RDS automated backups cannot express.
- ✓
AWS Backup
Why this is correct
AWS Backup provides a centralised, policy-driven service that schedules and manages backups across supported resources, including Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL. This satisfies the stem's requirement to automate scheduling and management, rather than relying on manual snapshots or RDS automated backup windows alone.
- ✗
Amazon CloudWatch
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch monitors metrics, logs and alarms; it neither schedules nor manages RDS backups. It is tempting because EventBridge rules and alarms can trigger actions, which suits alerting on backup failures rather than performing the backup itself.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.