DBS-C01 Database Security Practice Question
A company runs an e-commerce application on AWS using an Aurora MySQL database cluster. The security team mandates that all database audit logs must be stored in Amazon S3 for at least one year for compliance. The database is currently configured to publish audit logs to Amazon CloudWatch Logs. The security team wants to use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to migrate the database to a new Aurora MySQL cluster, and during the migration, the audit logs must continue to be captured uninterrupted. Which solution meets these requirements with the LEAST operational overhead?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse CloudTrail (which logs AWS API calls) with database-level audit logging, or assume that a read replica can seamlessly inherit and forward audit logs from the source, when in fact it only logs its own activity.
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
✓
Enable the Aurora MySQL advanced audit feature with file-based output, and configure the DMS task to use these log files as a source for ongoing replication.
Enabling the Aurora MySQL advanced audit feature allows audit logs to be output to files on the DB instance. These files can then be exported to Amazon S3 (e.g., via a scheduled script or Lambda function) for compliance. During the DMS migration, change data capture is handled by binary logs, not audit logs, so the audit logging remains uninterrupted. This approach minimizes operational overhead by using the built-in audit feature and a simple export mechanism, without requiring additional services like CloudTrail or Performance Insights.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Enable Performance Insights on the source cluster and export the data to S3.
Why it's wrong here
Performance Insights provides database performance metrics, not audit logs. It does not capture or export audit logs to S3, so this option does not meet the requirement.
- ✗
Create an Aurora MySQL read replica and enable audit logs on the replica, then migrate from the replica.
Why it's wrong here
A read replica logs only its own activity, not the source cluster's audit logs. Enabling audit logs on the replica would capture replica queries, not the ongoing source audit logs during migration.
- ✗
Use AWS CloudTrail to capture SQL queries and deliver them to S3.
Why it's wrong here
AWS CloudTrail logs AWS API calls, not database-level SQL queries. Audit logs are database query logs, so CloudTrail cannot capture them.
- ✓
Enable the Aurora MySQL advanced audit feature with file-based output, and configure the DMS task to use these log files as a source for ongoing replication.
Why this is correct
The Aurora MySQL advanced audit feature can write audit logs to files by setting `aurora_audit_log_type` to `FILE`. These files can be uploaded to S3, and DMS can read them as a source for ongoing replication, ensuring uninterrupted audit log capture with minimal operational overhead.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.