- A
Amazon DocumentDB
Why wrong: DocumentDB is a document database with millisecond latency, not microsecond.
- B
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL with read replicas
Why wrong: RDS read replicas reduce read load but add replication lag and do not provide microsecond latency.
- C
Amazon DynamoDB with DAX
DAX provides in-memory acceleration for DynamoDB, delivering microsecond read latency.
- D
Amazon ElastiCache for Redis
Why wrong: ElastiCache is a caching layer, not a primary database, and would require additional application complexity.
Question 896 of 1,730
DBS-C01 Workload-Specific Database Design Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of workload-specific database design. 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 designing a database for an e-commerce platform that stores product catalog data. The catalog has frequent reads and occasional writes. The data is highly relational but the team wants the lowest possible latency for read queries. Which 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 DynamoDB with DAX
Amazon DynamoDB with DAX is the best choice because the workload requires the lowest possible latency for read queries on a highly relational product catalog with frequent reads and occasional writes. DynamoDB provides single-digit millisecond latency at scale, and DAX (DynamoDB Accelerator) is an in-memory cache that reduces read latency to microseconds for eventually consistent reads, directly addressing the low-latency requirement without sacrificing the ability to handle occasional writes.
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 DocumentDB
Why it's wrong here
DocumentDB is a document database with millisecond latency, not microsecond.
- ✗
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL with read replicas
Why it's wrong here
RDS read replicas reduce read load but add replication lag and do not provide microsecond latency.
- ✓
Amazon DynamoDB with DAX
Why this is correct
DAX provides in-memory acceleration for DynamoDB, delivering microsecond read latency.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amazon ElastiCache for Redis
Why it's wrong here
ElastiCache is a caching layer, not a primary database, and would require additional application complexity.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose Amazon RDS with read replicas (Option B) because they see 'highly relational' and assume a relational database is mandatory, but they overlook that DynamoDB can model relational data using single-table design with composite keys and that DAX provides far lower read latency than any disk-based relational database with replicas.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DAX acts as a write-through cache that sits in front of DynamoDB, intercepting read requests and serving them from memory if the item is cached, which reduces read latency from single-digit milliseconds to microseconds. Under the hood, DAX uses a distributed in-memory engine that maintains cache consistency by invalidating entries on write operations, ensuring that the cache does not serve stale data for eventually consistent reads. In a real-world e-commerce catalog with frequent reads, this means product details can be served with sub-millisecond response times, while occasional updates (e.g., price changes) are written directly to DynamoDB and automatically invalidate the corresponding cached items.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
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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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 DynamoDB with DAX — Amazon DynamoDB with DAX is the best choice because the workload requires the lowest possible latency for read queries on a highly relational product catalog with frequent reads and occasional writes. DynamoDB provides single-digit millisecond latency at scale, and DAX (DynamoDB Accelerator) is an in-memory cache that reduces read latency to microseconds for eventually consistent reads, directly addressing the low-latency requirement without sacrificing the ability to handle occasional writes.
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: Jul 4, 2026
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