Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon Redshift and Amazon RDS for MySQL with read replicas. Redshift is purpose-built for analytics with complex SQL joins and read-heavy workloads, using columnar storage and massively parallel processing to efficiently scan and join large datasets like the 5 TB requirement. RDS for MySQL with read replicas handles high concurrency by offloading SELECT queries to replicas, allowing complex joins to scale horizontally while maintaining ACID compliance for transactional consistency. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between OLAP and OLTP services under read-heavy conditions; a common trap is choosing DynamoDB or ElastiCache, which lack native support for complex joins. Remember the mnemonic “Redshift for heavy joins, RDS replicas for read floods” to pair the right service with the workload pattern.
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of workload-specific database design. 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 company is designing a database for an analytics workload that requires storing 5 TB of data and running complex SQL queries with joins. The workload is read-heavy and requires high concurrency. Which TWO services are suitable for this workload? (Choose two.)
Amazon RDS for MySQL with read replicas
Supports joins and read replicas for concurrency.
Amazon Redshift
Optimized for complex SQL queries on large data.
Amazon ElastiCache for Redis
Why wrong: Cache, not primary database.
Amazon DynamoDB
Why wrong: NoSQL, not suited for complex joins.
Amazon S3
Why wrong: Object storage, not a database.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon RDS for MySQL with read replicas
Amazon RDS for MySQL with read replicas is suitable because the workload is read-heavy and requires high concurrency. Read replicas offload SELECT traffic from the primary instance, allowing complex SQL queries with joins to scale horizontally while maintaining ACID compliance for the 5 TB dataset.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Amazon RDS for MySQL with read replicas
Why this is correct
Supports joins and read replicas for concurrency.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon Redshift
Why this is correct
Optimized for complex SQL queries on large data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon ElastiCache for Redis
Why it's wrong here
Cache, not primary database.
Amazon DynamoDB
Why it's wrong here
NoSQL, not suited for complex joins.
Amazon S3
Why it's wrong here
Object storage, not a database.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse read-heavy OLTP workloads with analytical workloads, assuming ElastiCache or DynamoDB can handle complex SQL joins, when in fact they lack relational query capabilities and are designed for different access patterns.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, Amazon RDS for MySQL read replicas use asynchronous replication based on the MySQL binary log (binlog), which allows replicas to lag slightly but provides near-real-time read scaling. For this 5 TB analytics workload, you can also enable Multi-AZ for high availability and use features like parallel query execution to optimize join performance. Amazon Redshift, on the other hand, uses a columnar storage format and massively parallel processing (MPP) architecture, distributing data across slices to execute complex joins across billions of rows efficiently, making it ideal for read-heavy analytical workloads.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
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FAQ
Workload-Specific Database Design — This question tests Workload-Specific Database Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Amazon RDS for MySQL with read replicas — Amazon RDS for MySQL with read replicas is suitable because the workload is read-heavy and requires high concurrency. Read replicas offload SELECT traffic from the primary instance, allowing complex SQL queries with joins to scale horizontally while maintaining ACID compliance for the 5 TB dataset.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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