The answer is to add an Aurora Replica to distribute read traffic and reduce load on the writer. This improves Aurora MySQL write performance because in Amazon Aurora, the writer node handles all write operations, and offloading read queries to replicas frees up the primary instance’s resources, allowing it to focus on writes during heavy periods. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding that Aurora’s architecture decouples compute from storage, so scaling read capacity directly benefits write throughput—a common trap is assuming you need to change storage types or IOPS settings, which don’t apply to Aurora’s distributed storage layer. Remember, Aurora replicas aren’t just for failover; they actively boost write performance by reducing contention on the writer. Memory tip: “Replicas relieve the writer—reads offloaded, writes unloaded.”
DBS-C01 Workload-Specific Database Design Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of workload-specific database design. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Network Topology
A company is investigating a performance issue with an Amazon Aurora MySQL database. The output of the describe-db-instances command is shown. The application experiences intermittent slowdowns during write-heavy periods. Which change would MOST likely improve write performance?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Add an Aurora Replica to distribute read traffic and reduce load on the writer
Option D is correct because Aurora's write performance is tied to cluster size; adding more nodes can distribute load. Option A is wrong because Aurora uses its own storage; changing to gp2 is not applicable. Option B is wrong because disabling encryption would compromise security and may not improve performance. Option C is wrong because Aurora MySQL does not have a provisioned IOPS setting like RDS.
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.
✓
Add an Aurora Replica to distribute read traffic and reduce load on the writer
Why this is correct
Adding replicas offloads reads, freeing the writer for writes.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Increase the provisioned IOPS to 10000
Why it's wrong here
Aurora does not have provisioned IOPS; it scales automatically.
✗
Change StorageType to gp2 and increase AllocatedStorage to 200 GB
Why it's wrong here
Aurora uses its own storage; storage type is always 'aurora'.
✗
Set StorageEncrypted to false to reduce encryption overhead
Why it's wrong here
Encryption overhead is minimal and disabling it compromises security.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which DBS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Workload-Specific Database Design — This question tests Workload-Specific Database Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add an Aurora Replica to distribute read traffic and reduce load on the writer — Option D is correct because Aurora's write performance is tied to cluster size; adding more nodes can distribute load. Option A is wrong because Aurora uses its own storage; changing to gp2 is not applicable. Option B is wrong because disabling encryption would compromise security and may not improve performance. Option C is wrong because Aurora MySQL does not have a provisioned IOPS setting like RDS.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which DBS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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