- A
Use Amazon RDS Performance Insights to view active connections and manually terminate idle connections via the AWS Management Console.
Why wrong: Manual intervention is not automated.
- B
Configure an RDS event subscription for 'connection' events and send to Amazon SNS. Use SNS to notify an EC2 instance that runs a script to terminate idle connections.
Why wrong: RDS events do not include connection-level details.
- C
Enable audit logging and stream to Amazon CloudWatch Logs. Create a metric filter for connection events. Use CloudWatch Alarm to trigger a Lambda function that runs a SQL query to terminate idle connections.
Audit logs capture connection events; metric filter and Lambda automate termination.
- D
Enable RDS Enhanced Monitoring and configure a CloudWatch alarm to invoke an AWS Lambda function that terminates idle connections.
Why wrong: Enhanced Monitoring shows OS metrics, not connection details.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to enable audit logging and stream to Amazon CloudWatch Logs, create a metric filter for connection events, and use a CloudWatch Alarm to trigger a Lambda function that runs a SQL query to terminate idle connections. This works because CloudWatch Logs capture detailed connection events from RDS for PostgreSQL audit logs, allowing a metric filter to count idle sessions exceeding one hour; the alarm then invokes Lambda, which executes a pg_terminate_backend command against the database to cleanly close those connections. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of combining monitoring services with serverless compute for automated database maintenance—a common pattern for operational efficiency. A frequent trap is choosing RDS Event Notifications, which lack granular connection details, or relying on an EC2 instance, which introduces unnecessary management overhead. Memory tip: think “Logs → Filter → Alarm → Lambda → Kill” as the five-step pipeline for idle connection automation.
DBS-C01 Management and Operations Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of management and operations. 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 database administrator needs to monitor Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL connections and terminate idle connections that have been open for more than 1 hour. Which combination of steps should be taken?
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 audit logging and stream to Amazon CloudWatch Logs. Create a metric filter for connection events. Use CloudWatch Alarm to trigger a Lambda function that runs a SQL query to terminate idle connections.
CloudWatch Logs capture connection logs. Lambda can query the database to terminate idle connections. Option A is correct. Option B uses EC2 which is less automated. Option C uses RDS Event Notifications which do not include connection details. Option D lacks Lambda automation.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use Amazon RDS Performance Insights to view active connections and manually terminate idle connections via the AWS Management Console.
Why it's wrong here
Manual intervention is not automated.
- ✗
Configure an RDS event subscription for 'connection' events and send to Amazon SNS. Use SNS to notify an EC2 instance that runs a script to terminate idle connections.
Why it's wrong here
RDS events do not include connection-level details.
- ✓
Enable audit logging and stream to Amazon CloudWatch Logs. Create a metric filter for connection events. Use CloudWatch Alarm to trigger a Lambda function that runs a SQL query to terminate idle connections.
- ✗
Enable RDS Enhanced Monitoring and configure a CloudWatch alarm to invoke an AWS Lambda function that terminates idle connections.
Why it's wrong here
Enhanced Monitoring shows OS metrics, not connection details.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Enhanced Monitoring shows OS metrics, not connection details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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. NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated. 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.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DBS-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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Management and Operations — study guide chapter
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Management and Operations practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DBS-C01 question test?
Management and Operations — This question tests Management and Operations — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable audit logging and stream to Amazon CloudWatch Logs. Create a metric filter for connection events. Use CloudWatch Alarm to trigger a Lambda function that runs a SQL query to terminate idle connections. — CloudWatch Logs capture connection logs. Lambda can query the database to terminate idle connections. Option A is correct. Option B uses EC2 which is less automated. Option C uses RDS Event Notifications which do not include connection details. Option D lacks Lambda automation.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DBS-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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.
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