- A
Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL
Aurora PostgreSQL provides full ACID compliance and is optimized for high write throughput.
- B
Amazon DynamoDB with DynamoDB transactions
Why wrong: DynamoDB transactions are limited and not fully ACID across multiple items.
- C
Amazon ElastiCache for Redis
Why wrong: Redis is in-memory and lacks ACID durability guarantees.
- D
Amazon Neptune
Why wrong: Neptune is a graph database, not designed for transactional records.
Question 183 of 1,730
Aurora PostgreSQL for ACID-Compliant Write-Intensive Workloads
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of workload-specific database design. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 financial services company needs a database for trade settlement records. Each trade must be processed exactly once and the database must ensure ACID compliance across multiple rows. The workload is write-intensive with moderate reads. Which AWS database service should they choose?
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
✓
Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL
Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL is the correct choice because it provides full ACID compliance across multiple rows, which is essential for trade settlement records where each trade must be processed exactly once. Aurora PostgreSQL is a relational database that supports multi-row transactions with strong consistency, and its write-intensive workload performance is enhanced by a distributed storage subsystem that offloads redo log processing, making it suitable for high-throughput write operations while maintaining moderate read performance.
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.
- ✓
Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL
Why this is correct
Aurora PostgreSQL provides full ACID compliance and is optimized for high write throughput.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amazon DynamoDB with DynamoDB transactions
Why it's wrong here
DynamoDB transactions are limited and not fully ACID across multiple items.
- ✗
Amazon ElastiCache for Redis
Why it's wrong here
Redis is in-memory and lacks ACID durability guarantees.
- ✗
Amazon Neptune
Why it's wrong here
Neptune is a graph database, not designed for transactional records.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may choose DynamoDB with transactions because they see 'ACID compliance' in the DynamoDB transactions feature, but they overlook that DynamoDB is a NoSQL database that does not support relational joins or enforce referential integrity, which are critical for trade settlement records that require multi-row ACID transactions across related tables.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Aurora PostgreSQL uses a shared storage volume that is replicated across three Availability Zones, and it separates compute from storage, allowing the database to offload crash recovery and redo log processing to the storage layer. This architecture enables Aurora to handle high write throughput while maintaining ACID compliance through its implementation of PostgreSQL's MVCC (Multi-Version Concurrency Control) and WAL (Write-Ahead Logging) protocols, ensuring that each trade settlement transaction is processed exactly once without data loss or duplication.
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?
Workload-Specific Database Design — This question tests Workload-Specific Database Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL — Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL is the correct choice because it provides full ACID compliance across multiple rows, which is essential for trade settlement records where each trade must be processed exactly once. Aurora PostgreSQL is a relational database that supports multi-row transactions with strong consistency, and its write-intensive workload performance is enhanced by a distributed storage subsystem that offloads redo log processing, making it suitable for high-throughput write operations while maintaining moderate read performance.
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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on DBS-C01
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A financial services company needs a database to store transaction records with strict ACID compliance and the ability to run complex JOIN queries for reporting. The workload is read-heavy with occasional batch inserts. Which AWS database service should they choose?
medium- ✓ A.Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL
- B.Amazon DynamoDB
- C.Amazon Aurora Serverless
- D.Amazon Timestream
Why A: Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL is the correct choice because it provides full ACID compliance through its support for PostgreSQL's MVCC (Multi-Version Concurrency Control) and WAL (Write-Ahead Logging), ensuring transactional integrity for financial transaction records. It also excels at complex JOIN queries for reporting, leveraging PostgreSQL's advanced query optimizer and support for foreign keys, indexes, and CTEs. The read-heavy workload with occasional batch inserts is well-suited to RDS for PostgreSQL, as it can scale read replicas and handle batch operations efficiently with proper indexing.
Keep practising
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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