DBS-C01 Workload-Specific Database Design Practice Question
A company runs a critical PostgreSQL database on Amazon RDS Multi-AZ. They need to perform a major version upgrade (e.g., from 12 to 13) with minimal downtime. Which approach should they take?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates assume a direct upgrade on a Multi-AZ instance (Option B) is the simplest and least disruptive method, but they overlook the fact that major version upgrades require a reboot and can cause significant downtime, whereas the read replica promotion method is designed specifically for minimizing downtime in such scenarios.
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
✓
Create a read replica of the DB instance, perform the major version upgrade on the replica, then promote the replica to a new primary and update the connection string.
It leverages Amazon RDS read replicas to perform a major version upgrade with minimal downtime. By creating a read replica, upgrading it to PostgreSQL 13, and then promoting it to a new primary, you avoid any downtime on the original primary during the upgrade process. The promotion is a fast operation, and traffic is redirected by updating the connection string, resulting in only a brief interruption.
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, restore as a new instance with the upgraded engine version, and redirect traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Restoring from snapshot takes time and incurs downtime; also, snapshot restore is not a version upgrade path.
- ✗
Initiate a major version upgrade directly on the Multi-AZ instance; the upgrade will be applied during the next maintenance window with minimal downtime.
Why it's wrong here
This incurs downtime during the upgrade; not minimal.
- ✗
Modify the DB instance to disable Multi-AZ, perform the upgrade, then re-enable Multi-AZ.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling Multi-AZ causes downtime; upgrade also causes downtime.
- ✓
Create a read replica of the DB instance, perform the major version upgrade on the replica, then promote the replica to a new primary and update the connection string.
Why this is correct
This approach reduces downtime because the upgrade is done on the replica while the original primary remains active.
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