Scaling Read Capacity with Amazon Aurora Replicas for the AWS Database Specialty Exam
Which TWO strategies can improve query performance in Amazon Aurora MySQL for a read-heavy workload? (Select TWO.)
Quick Answer
The answer is to create Aurora Replicas and distribute read traffic to them, as this directly offloads read queries from the primary instance to improve performance for read-heavy workloads. Aurora Replicas share the same cluster volume as the primary, so there is no data replication lag, and you can use Auto Scaling to dynamically adjust the number of replicas based on demand. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this concept tests your understanding of Aurora’s distinct scaling architecture versus traditional RDS options—a common trap is confusing Multi-AZ (which provides failover, not read scaling) with Aurora Replicas. Remember, Aurora Replicas scale reads; Multi-AZ ensures availability. For a quick memory tip: think “Replicas for reads, Multi-AZ for resilience.”
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse Multi-AZ standby replicas (which are not accessible for reads) with Aurora Replicas (which are dedicated read endpoints), leading candidates to incorrectly select Multi-AZ as a read-scaling solution.
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 Aurora Auto Scaling for read replicas
Amazon Aurora Auto Scaling automatically adjusts the number of Aurora Replicas in response to changes in read workload demand, ensuring consistent read performance without manual intervention. This is ideal for read-heavy workloads where traffic patterns fluctuate, as it dynamically adds or removes replicas based on target metrics like CPU utilization or connections.
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 Aurora Auto Scaling for read replicas
Why this is correct
Auto Scaling automatically adjusts the number of replicas based on load.
- ✗
Use Provisioned IOPS EBS volumes for the primary instance
Why it's wrong here
Aurora uses a cluster volume; EBS optimization is not directly applicable.
- ✗
Enable Multi-AZ to create a standby for read traffic
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ standby is not used for reads; it's for failover.
- ✓
Create Aurora Replicas and distribute read traffic to them
Why this is correct
Aurora Replicas handle read queries, reducing load on the primary.
- ✗
Migrate the read-heavy queries to Amazon DynamoDB
Why it's wrong here
Migrating to a different database is not a strategy for improving Aurora query performance.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 1,663 original DBS-C01 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more way 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 company uses Amazon Aurora MySQL for its online transaction processing (OLTP) application. Recently, read traffic has increased significantly, causing performance issues. The company wants to offload read traffic with minimal application changes. Which solution should they implement?
medium- A.Enable Multi-AZ deployment
- ✓ B.Create one or more Aurora Replicas
- C.Migrate to Amazon DynamoDB
- D.Add an Amazon ElastiCache cluster in front of Aurora
Why B: Aurora Replicas are designed specifically to offload read traffic from the primary Aurora instance with minimal application changes. They connect to the same shared storage volume as the primary, so replication is nearly instantaneous and requires no additional storage overhead. The application can use the Aurora reader endpoint to distribute read queries across up to 15 low-latency replicas.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.