- A
The DB instance class in us-east-1b is a different size than the original.
Why wrong: The instance class and storage are identical.
- B
The application is connecting to the DB instance in a different Availability Zone, increasing network latency.
The new primary is in us-east-1b, and if the application is in us-east-1a, cross-AZ latency increases write latency.
- C
The Multi-AZ configuration uses asynchronous replication, causing higher latency.
Why wrong: Multi-AZ uses synchronous replication.
- D
The new primary is in the same Availability Zone as the application, but the standby is in a different AZ, causing synchronous replication overhead.
Why wrong: Multi-AZ synchronous replication only occurs between primary and standby, not between primary and application.
DBS-C01 Management and Operations Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of management and operations. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 Multi-AZ DB instance. The primary instance in us-east-1a experiences an unexpected failure. After the automatic failover, the application team reports that write latency has increased significantly. The new primary instance is in us-east-1b. The DB instance class and storage configuration are identical. What is the MOST likely cause of the increased write latency?
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.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
The application is connecting to the DB instance in a different Availability Zone, increasing network latency.
Option B is correct because after failover, the new primary DB instance resides in us-east-1b, while the application likely continues to connect to the original endpoint or is still running in us-east-1a. This cross-AZ network hop introduces additional latency for write operations, as the application must send data over the network between Availability Zones. The DB instance class and storage are identical, so performance differences are not due to hardware changes.
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.
- ✗
The DB instance class in us-east-1b is a different size than the original.
Why it's wrong here
The instance class and storage are identical.
- ✓
The application is connecting to the DB instance in a different Availability Zone, increasing network latency.
Why this is correct
The new primary is in us-east-1b, and if the application is in us-east-1a, cross-AZ latency increases write latency.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "most likely", "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The Multi-AZ configuration uses asynchronous replication, causing higher latency.
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ uses synchronous replication.
- ✗
The new primary is in the same Availability Zone as the application, but the standby is in a different AZ, causing synchronous replication overhead.
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ synchronous replication only occurs between primary and standby, not between primary and application.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume Multi-AZ failover is transparent and does not affect performance, but cross-AZ network latency for writes can increase significantly if the application remains in the original AZ.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Amazon RDS Multi-AZ uses synchronous replication to maintain a standby in a different AZ, ensuring zero data loss during failover. After failover, the DNS endpoint is updated to point to the new primary, but if the application caches the old IP or uses a reader endpoint, it may still route traffic to the original AZ, causing cross-AZ latency. In practice, enabling Multi-AZ with automatic failover does not change the application's connection behavior unless the application is configured to use the new endpoint or is deployed in the same AZ as the new primary.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Management and Operations — study guide chapter
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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: The application is connecting to the DB instance in a different Availability Zone, increasing network latency. — Option B is correct because after failover, the new primary DB instance resides in us-east-1b, while the application likely continues to connect to the original endpoint or is still running in us-east-1a. This cross-AZ network hop introduces additional latency for write operations, as the application must send data over the network between Availability Zones. The DB instance class and storage are identical, so performance differences are not due to hardware changes.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely", "primary". 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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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