- A
Implement DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) in front of the database.
Why wrong: DAX is for DynamoDB, not RDS.
- B
Enable Multi-AZ on the existing DB instance.
Why wrong: Multi-AZ provides high availability, not read scaling.
- C
Increase the DB instance size to a larger instance class.
Why wrong: Vertical scaling can help but does not scale reads horizontally and may be more expensive.
- D
Create an Amazon RDS Read Replica and update the application to use it for read queries.
Read Replicas handle read traffic, offloading the primary instance and improving scalability.
Question 349 of 1,786
DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. 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 company is running a production Amazon RDS for MySQL Multi-AZ DB instance. The database experiences a sudden spike in read requests, causing performance degradation. The company needs to improve read scalability with minimal application changes. Which solution should the data engineer recommend?
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
✓
Create an Amazon RDS Read Replica and update the application to use it for read queries.
Amazon RDS Read Replicas allow you to offload read traffic from the primary DB instance by creating asynchronous replicas that can serve read queries. This directly addresses the spike in read requests with minimal application changes—only the connection string for read queries needs to be updated. Multi-AZ is for high availability, not read scaling, and increasing instance size is a vertical scaling approach that doesn't leverage the horizontal read scalability of replicas.
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.
- ✗
Implement DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) in front of the database.
Why it's wrong here
DAX is for DynamoDB, not RDS.
- ✗
Enable Multi-AZ on the existing DB instance.
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ provides high availability, not read scaling.
- ✗
Increase the DB instance size to a larger instance class.
Why it's wrong here
Vertical scaling can help but does not scale reads horizontally and may be more expensive.
- ✓
Create an Amazon RDS Read Replica and update the application to use it for read queries.
Why this is correct
Read Replicas handle read traffic, offloading the primary instance and improving scalability.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Multi-AZ with read scaling, assuming the standby replica can serve reads, but AWS explicitly disables reads on the Multi-AZ standby to maintain data consistency and failover integrity.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Amazon RDS Read Replicas use MySQL's native asynchronous replication (based on binary log position or GTID) to maintain a near-real-time copy of the database. The replica can be promoted to a standalone instance if needed, and you can create up to 15 Read Replicas per source instance, allowing massive read scaling. In a real-world scenario, a read-heavy application like a reporting dashboard can route SELECT queries to the replica endpoint while writes continue on the primary, reducing contention and improving overall throughput.
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.
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Data Store Management — study guide chapter
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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: Create an Amazon RDS Read Replica and update the application to use it for read queries. — Amazon RDS Read Replicas allow you to offload read traffic from the primary DB instance by creating asynchronous replicas that can serve read queries. This directly addresses the spike in read requests with minimal application changes—only the connection string for read queries needs to be updated. Multi-AZ is for high availability, not read scaling, and increasing instance size is a vertical scaling approach that doesn't leverage the horizontal read scalability of replicas.
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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