- A
Use the AWS CLI to modify the DB instance with the --allow-major-version-upgrade flag.
Why wrong: This is a valid way to initiate the upgrade, but it does not minimize downtime by itself.
- B
Use the AWS Management Console to modify the DB instance and apply the upgrade immediately.
For Multi-AZ, this performs the upgrade on the standby first, then fails over, minimizing downtime.
- C
Enable automatic minor version upgrades on the DB instance.
Why wrong: Automatic minor version upgrades do not apply to major version upgrades.
- D
Create a read replica, upgrade the replica to the new version, and promote it to become the primary.
This approach allows testing and reduces downtime by switching over.
- E
Take a snapshot and restore to the new version.
Why wrong: Restoring from snapshot causes significant downtime.
Quick Answer
The answer is to create a read replica, upgrade the replica to the new version, and promote it to become the primary, combined with performing the major version upgrade on the standby instance first. This approach minimizes downtime by decoupling the upgrade process from the production workload: the read replica is upgraded in parallel while the primary continues serving traffic, and promoting the upgraded replica shifts the active connection with only a brief DNS cutover. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of blue/green deployment patterns for RDS MySQL, where the common trap is assuming you can upgrade the primary directly with Multi-AZ alone—that still causes a brief outage during the failover. The key insight is that major version upgrades require a new engine, so you must stage the change on a separate instance. Memory tip: think “replica first, promote second” to avoid the pitfall of upgrading in-place.
DBS-C01 Management and Operations Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of management and operations. 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 an Amazon RDS for MySQL DB instance with Multi-AZ. The company wants to perform a major version upgrade with minimal downtime. Which TWO actions should be taken? (Choose TWO.)
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
Use the AWS Management Console to modify the DB instance and apply the upgrade immediately.
Option A is correct because enabling automatic minor version upgrades is good practice but not required for major upgrades. Option B is correct because creating a read replica, upgrading it first, and then promoting it minimizes downtime. Option D is also correct (but wait, the question says 'Which TWO' and there are exactly two correct: B and D? Actually, A is not required for major upgrades. Let's check: Option B and D are correct: B: create read replica, upgrade, promote; D: perform the upgrade on the standby first. Option A is not directly related. Option C is wrong because it causes downtime. Option E is wrong because it is not supported for major upgrades. So correct: B and D.
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.
- ✗
Use the AWS CLI to modify the DB instance with the --allow-major-version-upgrade flag.
Why it's wrong here
This is a valid way to initiate the upgrade, but it does not minimize downtime by itself.
- ✓
Use the AWS Management Console to modify the DB instance and apply the upgrade immediately.
Why this is correct
For Multi-AZ, this performs the upgrade on the standby first, then fails over, minimizing downtime.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable automatic minor version upgrades on the DB instance.
Why it's wrong here
Automatic minor version upgrades do not apply to major version upgrades.
- ✓
Create a read replica, upgrade the replica to the new version, and promote it to become the primary.
Why this is correct
This approach allows testing and reduces downtime by switching over.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Take a snapshot and restore to the new version.
Why it's wrong here
Restoring from snapshot causes significant downtime.
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 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. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. 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.
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.
- →
Management and Operations — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Management and Operations 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
Related DBS-C01 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Workload-Specific Database Design practice questions
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Workload-Specific Database Design.
Deployment and Migration practice questions
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Deployment and Migration.
Management and Operations practice questions
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Management and Operations.
Monitoring and Troubleshooting practice questions
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Monitoring and Troubleshooting.
Database Security practice questions
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Database Security.
DBS-C01 fundamentals practice questions
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to DBS-C01 fundamentals.
DBS-C01 scenario practice questions
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to DBS-C01 scenario.
DBS-C01 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to DBS-C01 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free DBS-C01 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DBS-C01 question test?
Management and Operations — This question tests Management and Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use the AWS Management Console to modify the DB instance and apply the upgrade immediately. — Option A is correct because enabling automatic minor version upgrades is good practice but not required for major upgrades. Option B is correct because creating a read replica, upgrading it first, and then promoting it minimizes downtime. Option D is also correct (but wait, the question says 'Which TWO' and there are exactly two correct: B and D? Actually, A is not required for major upgrades. Let's check: Option B and D are correct: B: create read replica, upgrade, promote; D: perform the upgrade on the standby first. Option A is not directly related. Option C is wrong because it causes downtime. Option E is wrong because it is not supported for major upgrades. So correct: B and D.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
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
More DBS-C01 practice questions
- Match each AWS service to its primary purpose.
- A company needs to migrate a 100 GB MongoDB database to Amazon DocumentDB (with MongoDB compatibility). The migration mu…
- A company is designing a database for an IoT application that ingests sensor data from thousands of devices. Each device…
- Arrange the steps to troubleshoot a connection timeout issue from an EC2 instance to an Amazon RDS for SQL Server DB ins…
- Arrange the steps to configure a read replica for an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance in a different AWS Region in…
- Arrange the steps to perform a point-in-time recovery (PITR) for an Amazon RDS for MySQL DB instance in the correct orde…
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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.