Quick Answer
The answer is CacheHits and CacheMisses. The cache hit ratio is calculated by dividing CacheHits by the sum of CacheHits and CacheMisses, which gives the proportion of requests served directly from the Redis cache versus those that required a fetch from the underlying database. This ratio is a critical performance indicator because a low hit rate signals that the cache is not effectively reducing database load, often due to an inefficient eviction policy or a working set that exceeds available memory. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of ElastiCache Redis monitoring fundamentals and the specific CloudWatch metrics that map to the cache hit formula. A common trap is confusing CurItems (which tracks stored key count) or GetTypeCmds (total commands) with the actual hit and miss counters. Remember the mnemonic: “Hits over Hits plus Misses” — if you see CurItems or Evictions in the options, they are red herrings for memory pressure, not hit ratio calculations.
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring and troubleshooting. 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 uses Amazon ElastiCache for Redis. They want to monitor cache hit ratio. Which TWO metrics should be used to calculate the cache hit ratio?
GetTypeCmds
Why wrong: Total get commands, but hit ratio uses hits and misses.
CacheHits
Number of successful key lookups.
Evictions
Why wrong: Evictions is for memory management, not hit ratio.
CacheMisses
Number of key lookups that failed.
CurItems
Why wrong: Current number of items in cache, not used for hit ratio.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
CacheHits
Options A and C are correct. Cache hit ratio = CacheHits / (CacheHits + CacheMisses). CurItems is for memory usage, Evictions is for memory pressure, and GetTypeCmds is total get commands.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
GetTypeCmds
Why it's wrong here
Total get commands, but hit ratio uses hits and misses.
CacheHits
Why this is correct
Number of successful key lookups.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Evictions
Why it's wrong here
Evictions is for memory management, not hit ratio.
CacheMisses
Why this is correct
Number of key lookups that failed.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
CurItems
Why it's wrong here
Current number of items in cache, not used for hit ratio.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Total get commands, but hit ratio uses hits and misses.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which DBS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Monitoring and Troubleshooting — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Monitoring and Troubleshooting practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All DBS-C01 questions
1,730 questions across all exam domains
AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
DBS-C01 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Workload-Specific Database Design.
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Deployment and Migration.
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Management and Operations.
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Monitoring and Troubleshooting.
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Database Security.
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to DBS-C01 fundamentals.
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to DBS-C01 scenario.
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to DBS-C01 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Monitoring and Troubleshooting — This question tests Monitoring and Troubleshooting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: CacheHits — Options A and C are correct. Cache hit ratio = CacheHits / (CacheHits + CacheMisses). CurItems is for memory usage, Evictions is for memory pressure, and GetTypeCmds is total get commands.
Identify which DBS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.