- A
Enable Enhanced Monitoring and review the OS process list.
Why wrong: Enhanced Monitoring shows OS-level metrics, not database query details.
- B
Enable the slow query log and use a third-party tool to analyze it.
Why wrong: This is possible but not as direct as Performance Insights.
- C
Use Amazon RDS Performance Insights to identify the top SQL queries.
Performance Insights helps identify queries that are consuming the most resources.
- D
Enable CloudWatch Logs for the DB instance and search for errors.
Why wrong: CloudWatch Logs records logs but does not analyze query performance.
Question 427 of 1,730
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 company is using Amazon Aurora MySQL-Compatible Edition. The database is experiencing performance degradation due to long-running queries. The DBA needs to identify the queries that are consuming the most resources. Which action 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
✓
Use Amazon RDS Performance Insights to identify the top SQL queries.
Amazon RDS Performance Insights is the correct tool for this scenario because it provides a built-in, easy-to-use dashboard that visualizes database load and identifies the top SQL queries consuming the most resources, such as CPU, I/O, and wait events. Unlike other options, Performance Insights directly correlates database performance metrics with specific queries, enabling the DBA to quickly pinpoint long-running or resource-intensive queries without additional setup or third-party tools.
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 Enhanced Monitoring and review the OS process list.
Why it's wrong here
Enhanced Monitoring shows OS-level metrics, not database query details.
- ✗
Enable the slow query log and use a third-party tool to analyze it.
Why it's wrong here
This is possible but not as direct as Performance Insights.
- ✓
Use Amazon RDS Performance Insights to identify the top SQL queries.
Why this is correct
Performance Insights helps identify queries that are consuming the most resources.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable CloudWatch Logs for the DB instance and search for errors.
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs records logs but does not analyze query performance.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Enhanced Monitoring (OS-level metrics) with Performance Insights (database-level query performance), leading them to choose Option A because they think OS process list will show query details, but it only shows processes, not SQL text or resource consumption per query.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Enhanced Monitoring shows OS-level metrics, not database query details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Performance Insights uses a performance schema or DB load data to aggregate wait events and SQL queries, presenting them in a top-N SQL dashboard that refreshes every second. Under the hood, it leverages the database engine's internal statistics (e.g., `performance_schema` in MySQL) to calculate average active sessions (AAS), which directly correlates to resource consumption. In a real-world scenario, a DBA can use Performance Insights to identify a single query causing a CPU spike and immediately drill down to its execution plan and wait events, enabling rapid optimization without impacting production.
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 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. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. 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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Management and Operations — study guide chapter
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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 — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Amazon RDS Performance Insights to identify the top SQL queries. — Amazon RDS Performance Insights is the correct tool for this scenario because it provides a built-in, easy-to-use dashboard that visualizes database load and identifies the top SQL queries consuming the most resources, such as CPU, I/O, and wait events. Unlike other options, Performance Insights directly correlates database performance metrics with specific queries, enabling the DBA to quickly pinpoint long-running or resource-intensive queries without additional setup or third-party tools.
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.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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