DBS-C01 Management and Operations Practice Question
A database administrator is troubleshooting an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance that is experiencing high CPU utilization. The administrator runs the following query to find the current running queries:
SELECT pid, now() - pg_stat_activity.query_start AS duration, query, state FROM pg_stat_activity WHERE state = 'active';
The output shows a high number of queries with a state of 'active' and durations exceeding several minutes. What should the administrator do FIRST to reduce CPU utilization?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often choose to scale up or adjust parameters first, overlooking that the immediate problem is the active long-running queries, which can be resolved quickly with pg_terminate_backend without incurring cost or configuration changes.
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
✓
Use pg_terminate_backend to terminate the long-running queries.
The immediate cause of high CPU utilization is the long-running active queries consuming resources. Using pg_terminate_backend to terminate these queries will quickly free up CPU cycles, providing immediate relief. This is the first troubleshooting step before making configuration changes or scaling, as it directly addresses the symptom shown in the pg_stat_activity output.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Modify the max_connections parameter to limit concurrent sessions.
Why it's wrong here
This won't affect already connected sessions.
- ✗
Scale up the DB instance to a larger instance class.
Why it's wrong here
This is a reactive measure and not the first step.
- ✓
Use pg_terminate_backend to terminate the long-running queries.
Why this is correct
Terminating long-running queries immediately reduces CPU usage.
- ✗
Enable pg_stat_statements to collect query performance data.
Why it's wrong here
This adds overhead and does not solve the immediate problem.
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