This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of workload-specific database design. 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 designing a new application that requires a relational database with sub-millisecond read latency for a global user base. The workload is read-heavy with occasional writes. Which database solution should they choose?
Amazon DynamoDB with DAX
Why wrong: DynamoDB is a NoSQL database, not relational.
Amazon RDS for MySQL with Multi-AZ
Why wrong: Multi-AZ provides high availability, not sub-millisecond latency.
Amazon Aurora with Auto Scaling
Aurora provides low latency (single-digit ms) and is relational; Auto Scaling handles read scaling.
Amazon ElastiCache for Redis
Why wrong: ElastiCache is a caching layer, not a relational database.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon Aurora with Auto Scaling
Amazon Aurora with Auto Scaling is the correct choice because it provides a relational database (MySQL/PostgreSQL-compatible) with sub-millisecond read latency via its distributed storage layer and read replicas. The read-heavy workload benefits from Aurora's automatic scaling of read capacity, while occasional writes are efficiently handled by the cluster volume. Aurora's architecture decouples compute and storage, enabling fast failover and consistent performance for global users.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Amazon DynamoDB with DAX
Why it's wrong here
DynamoDB is a NoSQL database, not relational.
Amazon RDS for MySQL with Multi-AZ
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ provides high availability, not sub-millisecond latency.
Amazon Aurora with Auto Scaling
Why this is correct
Aurora provides low latency (single-digit ms) and is relational; Auto Scaling handles read scaling.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon ElastiCache for Redis
Why it's wrong here
ElastiCache is a caching layer, not a relational database.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse DynamoDB with DAX (which offers sub-millisecond latency) as a relational database, but DynamoDB is NoSQL and does not support relational features like joins or ACID transactions across multiple tables.
Detailed technical explanation
Aurora achieves sub-millisecond read latency through its SSD-backed virtualized storage layer, which stripes data across multiple Availability Zones and uses a quorum-based write model (6 copies across 3 AZs). The read replicas can serve read traffic with minimal lag (often under 100 ms) and can be promoted to primary in seconds. Auto Scaling allows Aurora to dynamically add reader nodes based on CPU or connections, ensuring consistent low-latency reads even under variable global load.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
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FAQ
Workload-Specific Database Design — This question tests Workload-Specific Database Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Amazon Aurora with Auto Scaling — Amazon Aurora with Auto Scaling is the correct choice because it provides a relational database (MySQL/PostgreSQL-compatible) with sub-millisecond read latency via its distributed storage layer and read replicas. The read-heavy workload benefits from Aurora's automatic scaling of read capacity, while occasional writes are efficiently handled by the cluster volume. Aurora's architecture decouples compute and storage, enabling fast failover and consistent performance for global users.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This DBS-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 DBS-C01 exam.
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