The correct configuration is Aurora with 6 copies of data across 3 Availability Zones. This is because Amazon Aurora’s storage architecture inherently stripes six copies of your data across three AZs, allowing it to withstand the loss of up to two copies without impacting write availability, as the remaining four copies maintain quorum for writes. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of Aurora’s durability model versus standard RDS; a common trap is confusing Aurora’s six-copy design with the three-copy replication used by other services. Remember that Aurora’s magic number is six—three AZs, each holding two copies—so losing any two copies still leaves a majority for writes. A quick memory tip: “6 copies, 3 AZs, 2 lost, still writes.”
DBS-C01 Management and Operations Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of management and operations. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 deploying an Amazon Aurora MySQL database. The company requires that the database withstand the loss of two copies of data without impacting write availability. Which configuration should the company use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Aurora with 6 copies of data across 3 Availability Zones
Aurora stores 6 copies of data across 3 AZs. The loss of two copies can be tolerated if they are distributed. Option A (3 copies in 3 AZs) is incorrect; Aurora uses 6 copies. Option B (2 copies in 2 AZs) is not correct. Option D (3 copies in 2 AZs) is not standard. The correct answer is C because Aurora's architecture provides higher durability.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Aurora with 3 copies of data in 3 Availability Zones
Why it's wrong here
Aurora stores 6 copies, not 3.
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Aurora with 2 copies of data in 2 Availability Zones
Why it's wrong here
This does not tolerate loss of two copies.
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Aurora with 3 copies of data in 2 Availability Zones
Why it's wrong here
This configuration is not supported by Aurora.
✓
Aurora with 6 copies of data across 3 Availability Zones
Why this is correct
Aurora automatically stores 6 copies across 3 AZs, allowing it to tolerate loss of two copies without affecting write availability.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which DBS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Management and Operations — This question tests Management and Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Aurora with 6 copies of data across 3 Availability Zones — Aurora stores 6 copies of data across 3 AZs. The loss of two copies can be tolerated if they are distributed. Option A (3 copies in 3 AZs) is incorrect; Aurora uses 6 copies. Option B (2 copies in 2 AZs) is not correct. Option D (3 copies in 2 AZs) is not standard. The correct answer is C because Aurora's architecture provides higher durability.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which DBS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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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.
Question Discussion
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