Quick Answer
The answer is a Multi-AZ deployment with a standby in a different Availability Zone. This is correct because Amazon RDS for MySQL Multi-AZ automatically provisions and maintains a synchronous standby replica in a separate AZ, ensuring that if the primary instance or its entire AZ fails, Amazon RDS handles automatic failover to the standby with minimal downtime—no manual intervention required. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of high availability versus disaster recovery; a common trap is confusing Multi-AZ (synchronous, high availability) with Read Replicas (asynchronous, scaling), which do not provide automatic failover. Remember that Multi-AZ is about resilience within a single region, not cross-region recovery. A helpful memory tip: think “Multi-AZ = Mirror” for synchronous standby, while “Read Replica = Remote” for asynchronous read scaling.
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.
A company is migrating an on-premises MySQL database to Amazon RDS. The database is used for a critical e-commerce application that requires high availability with automatic failover. Which RDS deployment option should the company choose to meet these requirements?
Multi-Region deployment with Read Replicas
Why wrong: Read Replicas are for read scaling, not automatic failover.
Single-AZ instance with a standby in the same AZ
Why wrong: Single-AZ does not provide automatic failover.
Multi-AZ deployment with a standby in a different AZ
Multi-AZ provides automatic failover to a standby in a different AZ.
Single-AZ instance with a Read Replica
Why wrong: Read Replicas do not provide automatic failover.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Multi-AZ deployment with a standby in a different AZ
Option C is correct because a Multi-AZ deployment for Amazon RDS MySQL automatically provisions and maintains a synchronous standby replica in a different Availability Zone (AZ). In the event of an AZ failure or primary instance failure, Amazon RDS automatically fails over to the standby, providing high availability with minimal downtime. This meets the requirement for automatic failover without manual intervention.
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.
Multi-Region deployment with Read Replicas
Why it's wrong here
Read Replicas are for read scaling, not automatic failover.
Single-AZ instance with a standby in the same AZ
Why it's wrong here
Single-AZ does not provide automatic failover.
Multi-AZ deployment with a standby in a different AZ
Why this is correct
Multi-AZ provides automatic failover to a standby in a different AZ.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Single-AZ instance with a Read Replica
Why it's wrong here
Read Replicas do not provide automatic failover.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Multi-AZ with Read Replicas, assuming that a Read Replica can provide automatic failover, but in RDS MySQL, Read Replicas require manual promotion and do not offer synchronous replication or automatic failover.
Detailed technical explanation
In a Multi-AZ deployment, Amazon RDS uses synchronous replication to the standby instance, ensuring zero data loss during failover (committed transactions are preserved). The failover process is automatic and typically completes within 60–120 seconds, triggered by health checks on the primary instance. The standby is not accessible for read traffic; it only becomes active during failover, which is a key distinction from Read Replicas that can serve reads.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Workload-Specific Database Design — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Workload-Specific Database Design practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All DBS-C01 questions
1,730 questions across all exam domains
AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
DBS-C01 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Workload-Specific Database Design.
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Deployment and Migration.
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Management and Operations.
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Monitoring and Troubleshooting.
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Database Security.
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to DBS-C01 fundamentals.
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to DBS-C01 scenario.
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to DBS-C01 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
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: Multi-AZ deployment with a standby in a different AZ — Option C is correct because a Multi-AZ deployment for Amazon RDS MySQL automatically provisions and maintains a synchronous standby replica in a different Availability Zone (AZ). In the event of an AZ failure or primary instance failure, Amazon RDS automatically fails over to the standby, providing high availability with minimal downtime. This meets the requirement for automatic failover without manual intervention.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.