DBS-C01 Management and Operations Practice Question
An Amazon RDS for SQL Server instance is running out of storage space. The instance uses 500 GB of Magnetic storage. The database specialist needs to increase storage to 1 TB with minimal downtime. Which solution meets these requirements?
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
✓
Modify the DB instance and increase the allocated storage to 1 TB.
Modifying the DB instance to increase allocated storage is the correct approach because it can be done with minimal downtime. Amazon RDS for SQL Server supports dynamic storage scaling, allowing you to increase the allocated storage size without requiring a snapshot or migration. The instance remains available during the modification, although a brief performance impact may occur. Option A is incorrect because restoring from a snapshot requires significant downtime and does not offer a direct storage increase on the existing instance. Option B is incorrect because converting storage type (e.g., from Magnetic to General Purpose) is a separate modification that also incurs downtime, and it is not necessary to change storage type before increasing size; you can modify storage size directly. Option D is incorrect because using AWS DMS is overkill for a simple storage increase and introduces additional complexity and potential downtime during the migration process.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a snapshot of the DB instance and restore it with larger storage.
Why it's wrong here
This requires longer downtime compared to a simple modification.
- ✗
Convert the storage type to General Purpose (gp2) and then increase size.
Why it's wrong here
Conversion also requires modification; you can do both at once.
- ✓
Modify the DB instance and increase the allocated storage to 1 TB.
Why this is correct
Modifying storage online is supported with minimal downtime.
- ✗
Use AWS DMS to migrate the database to a new instance with 1 TB storage.
Why it's wrong here
DMS migration requires setup and may cause more overhead.
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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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.