- A
Amazon ElastiCache for Redis global datastore
Why wrong: ElastiCache is a caching layer, not suitable as a primary database with strong consistency.
- B
Amazon S3 with cross-region replication
Why wrong: S3 is object storage and does not support transactional queries or strong consistency automatically.
- C
Amazon Aurora Global Database
Why wrong: Aurora Global Database has a primary Region for writes and secondary Regions for reads only; writes are not multi-master.
- D
Amazon DynamoDB global tables
DynamoDB global tables provide multi-Region, multi-master replication with strong consistency and automatic failover.
Question 268 of 1,730
DBS-C01 Workload-Specific Database Design Practice Question
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 company is designing a database for a global e-commerce platform that requires low-latency reads and writes across multiple AWS Regions. The database must support strongly consistent reads and provide automatic failover. Which AWS service should the company use?
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 global tables
Amazon DynamoDB global tables provide a fully managed, multi-Region, multi-active database solution that delivers low-latency reads and writes across AWS Regions. It supports strongly consistent reads when using the same-Region endpoint and offers automatic failover by allowing any Region to handle writes independently, ensuring high availability without manual intervention.
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 ElastiCache for Redis global datastore
Why it's wrong here
ElastiCache is a caching layer, not suitable as a primary database with strong consistency.
- ✗
Amazon S3 with cross-region replication
Why it's wrong here
S3 is object storage and does not support transactional queries or strong consistency automatically.
- ✗
Amazon Aurora Global Database
Why it's wrong here
Aurora Global Database has a primary Region for writes and secondary Regions for reads only; writes are not multi-master.
- ✓
Amazon DynamoDB global tables
Why this is correct
DynamoDB global tables provide multi-Region, multi-master replication with strong consistency and automatic failover.
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 often confuse Amazon Aurora Global Database (which is active-passive) with a multi-active solution, assuming it supports automatic failover for writes across Regions, but DynamoDB global tables are the only option that provides true multi-Region write capability with automatic failover.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DynamoDB global tables use a last-writer-wins (LWW) conflict resolution mechanism based on the timestamp of each write, ensuring that concurrent updates across Regions converge to a consistent state. Under the hood, each replica table is fully writable, and replication occurs asynchronously via DynamoDB Streams, typically within sub-second latency. A real-world scenario where this matters is a flash sale event where users from different continents simultaneously update inventory counts; DynamoDB global tables handle the conflicts automatically without data loss.
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
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.
- →
Workload-Specific Database Design — study guide chapter
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Workload-Specific Database Design practice questions
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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 global tables — Amazon DynamoDB global tables provide a fully managed, multi-Region, multi-active database solution that delivers low-latency reads and writes across AWS Regions. It supports strongly consistent reads when using the same-Region endpoint and offers automatic failover by allowing any Region to handle writes independently, ensuring high availability without manual intervention.
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 24, 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.
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