- A
Amazon Redshift
Why wrong: Redshift is a data warehouse optimized for large-scale analytics, not cost-effective for sub-500 GB relational data.
- B
Amazon S3
Why wrong: S3 is object storage, not a relational database; it cannot perform joins or transactions.
- C
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL
RDS offers managed relational databases with full SQL support, ideal for transactional workloads up to 500 GB.
- D
Amazon DynamoDB
Why wrong: DynamoDB is NoSQL and does not support complex joins or transactions across multiple tables.
Question 1,563 of 1,786
DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 company needs to store relational data that requires complex joins and transactional consistency. The workload is predictable and the data size is less than 500 GB. Which AWS service is MOST cost-effective for this use case?
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
✓
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL is the most cost-effective choice because it provides a fully managed relational database service that supports complex joins and transactional consistency (ACID compliance) for predictable workloads under 500 GB. Unlike Redshift, which is optimized for petabyte-scale analytics, RDS offers lower cost for this data size and workload pattern, while DynamoDB lacks native SQL join capabilities and S3 is not a relational database.
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.
- ✗
Amazon Redshift
Why it's wrong here
Redshift is a data warehouse optimized for large-scale analytics, not cost-effective for sub-500 GB relational data.
- ✗
Amazon S3
Why it's wrong here
S3 is object storage, not a relational database; it cannot perform joins or transactions.
- ✓
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL
Why this is correct
RDS offers managed relational databases with full SQL support, ideal for transactional workloads up to 500 GB.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amazon DynamoDB
Why it's wrong here
DynamoDB is NoSQL and does not support complex joins or transactions across multiple tables.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose Amazon Redshift for any data that involves joins or analytics, ignoring that it is cost-prohibitive and architecturally mismatched for transactional, sub-500 GB workloads, while RDS is the correct relational database service for this scale.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, PostgreSQL uses Multi-Version Concurrency Control (MVCC) to handle transactional consistency without locking reads, enabling complex joins via hash, merge, or nested loop algorithms. For predictable workloads under 500 GB, RDS provides automatic storage scaling up to 64 TB with Provisioned IOPS, but the cost remains lower than Redshift’s per-node pricing, which starts at multiple nodes even for small datasets. A real-world scenario is an e-commerce order management system requiring JOINs between orders, customers, and inventory tables with ACID guarantees—RDS PostgreSQL handles this efficiently, while Redshift would incur unnecessary compute costs.
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
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.
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 |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DEA-C01 question test?
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: Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL — Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL is the most cost-effective choice because it provides a fully managed relational database service that supports complex joins and transactional consistency (ACID compliance) for predictable workloads under 500 GB. Unlike Redshift, which is optimized for petabyte-scale analytics, RDS offers lower cost for this data size and workload pattern, while DynamoDB lacks native SQL join capabilities and S3 is not a relational database.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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