DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
An Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL instance is experiencing high CPU utilization and slow query performance. The data engineer suspects that a specific query is causing the problem. The engineer wants to identify the query and analyze its execution plan. Which steps should the engineer take?
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
✓
Enable pg_stat_statements in the PostgreSQL parameter group and query the pg_stat_statements view.
Enabling pg_stat_statements in the PostgreSQL parameter group and querying the pg_stat_statements view provides detailed query execution statistics (e.g., total execution time, calls, rows) and helps identify high‑load queries. The execution plan can then be obtained by running EXPLAIN on the identified query. Option A is incorrect because CloudWatch Logs captures logs but does not provide real‑time query performance details. Option C is incorrect because Enhanced Monitoring shows OS‑level metrics (CPU, memory), not query‑level plans or statistics. Option D is incorrect because RDS Performance Insights identifies top queries by wait events and load but does not directly expose the execution plan; the execution plan is best obtained via EXPLAIN on the specific query identified from pg_stat_statements.
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 CloudWatch Logs for the RDS instance and search for slow query logs.
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs captures database logs but does not provide real‑time query performance details or execution plans.
- ✓
Enable pg_stat_statements in the PostgreSQL parameter group and query the pg_stat_statements view.
Why this is correct
Enabling pg_stat_statements allows collection of query execution statistics; querying the pg_stat_statements view identifies high‑load queries, and EXPLAIN provides the execution plan.
- ✗
Enable Enhanced Monitoring and analyze the CPU metrics.
Why it's wrong here
Enhanced Monitoring provides OS‑level metrics like CPU and memory, not query‑level statistics or plans.
- ✗
Use RDS Performance Insights to identify the top queries.
Why it's wrong here
RDS Performance Insights identifies top queries by load but does not directly give execution plans; the plan requires EXPLAIN on the identified query.
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