DBS-C01 Workload-Specific Database Design Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of workload-specific database design. 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 uses Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL to run a reporting application. The reporting queries are complex and take several minutes to complete, causing performance impact on the primary instance. The company wants to isolate the reporting workload without data staleness. Which solution should they implement?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
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 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 and direct reporting queries to it.
Option D is correct because creating a read replica of the Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL primary instance allows you to offload complex reporting queries to the replica without impacting the primary. Read replicas use asynchronous replication (based on PostgreSQL streaming replication), which provides near-real-time data with minimal staleness, satisfying the requirement to isolate the reporting workload without significant data staleness.
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.
✗
Implement an Amazon ElastiCache cluster to cache query results.
Why it's wrong here
Caching may not be effective for complex, ad-hoc queries.
✗
Enable Multi-AZ and use the standby instance for reporting.
Why it's wrong here
The standby instance in Multi-AZ is not accessible for reads.
✗
Take a manual snapshot of the database and restore it for reporting.
Why it's wrong here
Snapshots are static and not real-time.
✓
Create a read replica and direct reporting queries to it.
Why this is correct
Read replicas offload read traffic and are updated asynchronously.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the Multi-AZ standby instance as usable for read traffic, but AWS explicitly prevents read access to the standby to maintain crash recovery consistency, whereas a read replica is purpose-built for offloading read workloads.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL read replicas use PostgreSQL's native streaming replication protocol, which replicates data asynchronously from the primary to the replica with a replication lag typically measured in milliseconds to seconds. The replica can be promoted to a primary if needed, and it supports read scaling for workloads like reporting. In practice, monitoring the `replay_lag` metric is critical to ensure the replica's data is sufficiently current for the reporting application.
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 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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Workload-Specific Database Design — This question tests Workload-Specific Database Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a read replica and direct reporting queries to it. — Option D is correct because creating a read replica of the Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL primary instance allows you to offload complex reporting queries to the replica without impacting the primary. Read replicas use asynchronous replication (based on PostgreSQL streaming replication), which provides near-real-time data with minimal staleness, satisfying the requirement to isolate the reporting workload without significant data staleness.
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: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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