DBS-C01 AWS Secrets Manager Practice Question
A company wants to centrally manage database user credentials and rotate them automatically. The database is an Amazon RDS for MySQL instance. Which AWS service should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common trap is to choose IAM (option C) because IAM database authentication allows database access without passwords. However, the requirement is to manage database user credentials and rotate them automatically, which is a core feature of Secrets Manager, not IAM.
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
✓
AWS Secrets Manager
AWS Secrets Manager (option A) is the correct service because it is designed to centrally manage database credentials and can automatically rotate them for Amazon RDS for MySQL instances on a schedule you define. Option B (AWS CloudHSM) provides hardware security modules for cryptographic key storage, not credential management or rotation. Option C (IAM) is used for controlling access to AWS resources and supports IAM database authentication for RDS, but it does not manage database user passwords or provide automatic rotation of those passwords. Option D (AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store) can store secrets securely, but it does not offer native automatic rotation of RDS database credentials; that functionality requires Secrets Manager.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
AWS Secrets Manager
Why this is correct
Correct. AWS Secrets Manager provides centralized management and automatic rotation of RDS MySQL credentials.
- ✗
AWS CloudHSM
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. AWS CloudHSM is a hardware security module for key storage, not for credential management or rotation.
- ✗
AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. IAM is for AWS resource access control. While IAM database authentication exists, it does not manage or rotate database user passwords.
- ✗
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Parameter Store can store secrets but lacks native automatic rotation for RDS credentials.
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 |
Go deeper
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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.