- A
Configure automated backups with a retention period of at least 5 minutes beyond the current time.
Automated backups enable PITR.
- B
Create manual snapshots every 5 minutes.
Why wrong: Manual snapshots are not point-in-time and take time to create.
- C
Enable cross-Region replication for the cluster.
Why wrong: Cross-Region replication is for disaster recovery, not PITR.
- D
Enable parallel query for the cluster.
Why wrong: Parallel query improves query performance, not backup.
- E
Enable Aurora Backtrack.
Backtrack allows rewinding the cluster to a specific time, meeting RTO and RPO.
Question 222 of 1,730
DBS-C01 Management and Operations Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of management and operations. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 an Amazon Aurora MySQL DB cluster. The company wants to implement a backup strategy that supports point-in-time recovery (PITR) with a recovery time objective (RTO) of 15 minutes and a recovery point objective (RPO) of 5 minutes. Which TWO actions should the company take?
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
✓
Configure automated backups with a retention period of at least 5 minutes beyond the current time.
Option A is incorrect because Aurora's automated backup retention period must be between 1 and 35 days; it cannot be set to 5 minutes. Option E is correct because Aurora Backtrack allows rewinding the cluster to a specific point in time, achieving an RPO of 5 minutes and an RTO of minutes (typically under 15). No other option meets both the stated RTO and RPO.
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.
- ✓
Configure automated backups with a retention period of at least 5 minutes beyond the current time.
Why this is correct
Automated backups enable PITR.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create manual snapshots every 5 minutes.
Why it's wrong here
Manual snapshots are not point-in-time and take time to create.
- ✗
Enable cross-Region replication for the cluster.
Why it's wrong here
Cross-Region replication is for disaster recovery, not PITR.
- ✗
Enable parallel query for the cluster.
Why it's wrong here
Parallel query improves query performance, not backup.
- ✓
Enable Aurora Backtrack.
Why this is correct
Backtrack allows rewinding the cluster to a specific time, meeting RTO and RPO.
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 assume automated backups require a retention period of exactly 5 minutes to achieve a 5-minute RPO, but Aurora's PITR is based on the frequency of transaction log application (every 5 minutes) and the retention period must be at least 1 day; the 5-minute RPO is inherent to the service, not configurable via retention period.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Aurora Backtrack works by maintaining a log of changes (redo records) for up to 72 hours, allowing the cluster to be rewound to any point within that window in seconds, regardless of database size. Automated backups in Aurora are continuous and stored in Amazon S3, with transaction logs applied every 5 minutes to enable PITR, but the retention period must be set to at least 1 day (the minimum) to use PITR; the 5-minute RPO is achieved by the frequency of log application, not by the retention period itself. In practice, combining Backtrack (for fast rewind) with automated backups (for long-term recovery) provides both low RTO and RPO, but Backtrack alone cannot replace backups for disaster recovery beyond the backtrack window.
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.
What to study next
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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: Configure automated backups with a retention period of at least 5 minutes beyond the current time. — Option A is incorrect because Aurora's automated backup retention period must be between 1 and 35 days; it cannot be set to 5 minutes. Option E is correct because Aurora Backtrack allows rewinding the cluster to a specific point in time, achieving an RPO of 5 minutes and an RTO of minutes (typically under 15). No other option meets both the stated RTO and RPO.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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