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Database Security →easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Aurora MySQL Audit Logs — During DMS Migration | AWS Database Specialty Explained

This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of database security. 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 runs an e-commerce application on AWS using an Aurora MySQL database cluster. The security team mandates that all database audit logs must be stored in Amazon S3 for at least one year for compliance. The database is currently configured to publish audit logs to Amazon CloudWatch Logs. The security team wants to use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to migrate the database to a new Aurora MySQL cluster, and during the migration, the audit logs must continue to be captured uninterrupted. Which solution meets these requirements with the LEAST operational overhead?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "least"
Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.

A
Enable Performance Insights on the source cluster and export the data to S3.
Why wrong: Performance Insights provides database performance metrics, not audit logs. It does not capture or export audit logs to S3, so this option does not meet the requirement.
B
Create an Aurora MySQL read replica and enable audit logs on the replica, then migrate from the replica.
Why wrong: A read replica logs only its own activity, not the source cluster's audit logs. Enabling audit logs on the replica would capture replica queries, not the ongoing source audit logs during migration.
C
Use AWS CloudTrail to capture SQL queries and deliver them to S3.
Why wrong: AWS CloudTrail logs AWS API calls, not database-level SQL queries. Audit logs are database query logs, so CloudTrail cannot capture them.
D
Enable the Aurora MySQL advanced audit feature with file-based output, and configure the DMS task to use these log files as a source for ongoing replication.
The Aurora MySQL advanced audit feature can write audit logs to files by setting `aurora_audit_log_type` to `FILE`. These files can be uploaded to S3, and DMS can read them as a source for ongoing replication, ensuring uninterrupted audit log capture with minimal operational overhead.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 the Aurora MySQL advanced audit feature with file-based output, and configure the DMS task to use these log files as a source for ongoing replication.

Option D is correct because enabling the Aurora MySQL advanced audit feature allows audit logs to be output to files on the DB instance. These files can then be exported to Amazon S3 (e.g., via a scheduled script or Lambda function) for compliance. During the DMS migration, change data capture is handled by binary logs, not audit logs, so the audit logging remains uninterrupted. This approach minimizes operational overhead by using the built-in audit feature and a simple export mechanism, without requiring additional services like CloudTrail or Performance Insights.

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.

✗
Enable Performance Insights on the source cluster and export the data to S3.
Why it's wrong here
Performance Insights provides database performance metrics, not audit logs. It does not capture or export audit logs to S3, so this option does not meet the requirement.
✗
Create an Aurora MySQL read replica and enable audit logs on the replica, then migrate from the replica.
Why it's wrong here
A read replica logs only its own activity, not the source cluster's audit logs. Enabling audit logs on the replica would capture replica queries, not the ongoing source audit logs during migration.
✗
Use AWS CloudTrail to capture SQL queries and deliver them to S3.
Why it's wrong here
AWS CloudTrail logs AWS API calls, not database-level SQL queries. Audit logs are database query logs, so CloudTrail cannot capture them.
✓
Enable the Aurora MySQL advanced audit feature with file-based output, and configure the DMS task to use these log files as a source for ongoing replication.
Why this is correct
The Aurora MySQL advanced audit feature can write audit logs to files by setting `aurora_audit_log_type` to `FILE`. These files can be uploaded to S3, and DMS can read them as a source for ongoing replication, ensuring uninterrupted audit log capture with minimal operational overhead.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates may confuse CloudTrail (which logs AWS API calls) with database-level audit logging, or assume that a read replica can seamlessly inherit and forward audit logs from the source, when in fact it only logs its own activity.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

The Aurora MySQL advanced audit feature writes audit records to log files (e.g., /rdsdbdata/log/audit/) using the MySQL audit plugin, which can be configured to output in JSON or CSV format. DMS can use these files as a source for ongoing replication by specifying the 'aurora-advanced-audit' endpoint type, allowing continuous capture of audit events without relying on CloudWatch Logs or interrupting the migration process. This approach is particularly useful in regulated environments where audit continuity is critical during database migrations.

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.

TExam Day Tips

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

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.

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

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this DBS-C01 question test?

Database Security — This question tests Database Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Enable the Aurora MySQL advanced audit feature with file-based output, and configure the DMS task to use these log files as a source for ongoing replication. — Option D is correct because enabling the Aurora MySQL advanced audit feature allows audit logs to be output to files on the DB instance. These files can then be exported to Amazon S3 (e.g., via a scheduled script or Lambda function) for compliance. During the DMS migration, change data capture is handled by binary logs, not audit logs, so the audit logging remains uninterrupted. This approach minimizes operational overhead by using the built-in audit feature and a simple export mechanism, without requiring additional services like CloudTrail or Performance Insights.

What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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