The correct answer is to create a clone of the cluster using the 'Clone Cluster' feature and test index changes on the clone. This approach allows you to perform DocumentDB index impact verification using a clone cluster without affecting production, because the clone provides an isolated, fully functional copy of your data and configuration in the same account. By modifying indexes on the clone and measuring write latency, you can directly confirm whether the index overhead is the root cause, all while the production workload remains untouched. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of operational isolation versus disruptive methods—common traps include choosing the profiler (which only identifies slow queries, not index impact) or a snapshot restore (which is time-consuming and lacks real-time data). Remember the memory tip: "Clone to own, never touch the throne"—always isolate your testing to a clone before making index changes in production.
DBS-C01 Management and Operations Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of management and operations. 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 running a MongoDB-compatible Amazon DocumentDB cluster. The application is experiencing high write latency during peak hours. The cluster has one writer and two readers. The DBA suspects that the issue is due to a large number of indexes on the collection. What should the DBA do to verify this hypothesis without affecting production?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a clone of the cluster using the 'Clone Cluster' feature and test index changes on the clone.
Option D is correct because creating a clone of the cluster in the same account allows testing in an isolated environment without impacting production. Option A is incorrect because using the profiler to identify slow queries does not directly test the impact of indexes. Option B is incorrect because AWS DMS is used for migration, not for testing index impact. Option C is incorrect because restoring a snapshot into a new cluster is disruptive as it requires taking a snapshot and restoring, which can be time-consuming and does not provide real-time data.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Take a snapshot of the cluster and restore it to a new cluster to test index changes.
Why it's wrong here
Snapshot restore is point-in-time and may be outdated; also takes time.
✗
Use AWS DMS to replicate data to a test cluster and perform index testing there.
Why it's wrong here
DMS is for ongoing replication, not for ad-hoc testing.
✗
Enable the profiler on the production cluster to capture slow queries and analyze the index usage.
Why it's wrong here
This helps identify slow queries but does not directly test the impact of indexes on write latency.
✓
Create a clone of the cluster using the 'Clone Cluster' feature and test index changes on the clone.
Why this is correct
Cloning creates a copy of the cluster quickly without impacting the source.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DBS-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Management and Operations — This question tests Management and Operations — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a clone of the cluster using the 'Clone Cluster' feature and test index changes on the clone. — Option D is correct because creating a clone of the cluster in the same account allows testing in an isolated environment without impacting production. Option A is incorrect because using the profiler to identify slow queries does not directly test the impact of indexes. Option B is incorrect because AWS DMS is used for migration, not for testing index impact. Option C is incorrect because restoring a snapshot into a new cluster is disruptive as it requires taking a snapshot and restoring, which can be time-consuming and does not provide real-time data.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DBS-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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