DBS-C01 Deployment and Migration Practice Question
A company wants to test an application against an Amazon RDS for MySQL database with a recent set of production data without impacting the production database. The test database must be available quickly and be refreshed regularly. Which solution should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often choose snapshot restore (Option D) because it seems like the most straightforward backup method, but they overlook that a read replica can be promoted to a standalone instance much faster and with less operational overhead for regular refreshes.
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 production database, then promote it to a standalone instance for testing.
Creating a read replica of the production RDS for MySQL database and then promoting it to a standalone instance is the fastest way to obtain a near-current copy of production data without impacting the source. The replica is created asynchronously using MySQL's native binlog replication, and promotion breaks the replication link, leaving a fully writable test instance. This approach minimizes setup time because the replica is already hydrated with data from the moment of creation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Export production data to S3 and import into a test instance using Lambda.
Why it's wrong here
This is complex and not efficient for regular refreshes.
- ✓
Create a read replica of the production database, then promote it to a standalone instance for testing.
Why this is correct
A read replica can be promoted quickly and refreshed by creating a new replica.
- ✗
Use AWS DMS to continuously replicate data from production to a test RDS instance.
Why it's wrong here
DMS adds overhead and is not intended for regular test refresh.
- ✗
Create a snapshot of the production database and restore it as a new RDS instance.
Why it's wrong here
This works but requires manual steps and does not provide regular refresh easily.
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Related to this question
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on DBS-C01
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Refer to the exhibit. A developer runs the command against an RDS MySQL instance. The application team reports that the database is experiencing high read latency during peak hours. The database is not currently in Multi-AZ. What is the MOST cost-effective way to reduce read latency?
medium- A.Enable Multi-AZ to distribute reads to the standby.
- B.Upgrade the instance to db.r5.2xlarge.
- C.Migrate to Aurora MySQL with a read replica.
- ✓ D.Create a read replica in the same region.
Why D: Creating a read replica in the same region offloads read traffic from the primary RDS MySQL instance, reducing read latency during peak hours without incurring the cost of a larger instance or a full Aurora migration. Read replicas are asynchronous and can serve SELECT queries, providing a cost-effective scaling solution for read-heavy workloads.
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.