- A
Enable the RDS audit log by setting the 'audit_log_enabled' parameter to 1 in the DB parameter group and export logs to CloudWatch Logs.
Audit logs capture authentication failures and queries; exporting to CloudWatch allows monitoring.
- B
Enable RDS Enhanced Monitoring and publish metrics to CloudWatch.
Why wrong: Enhanced Monitoring provides OS-level metrics, not query logs.
- C
Enable AWS CloudTrail for the RDS instance and store logs in S3.
Why wrong: CloudTrail logs API calls, not database queries.
- D
Use S3 server access logs to capture database connection attempts.
Why wrong: S3 access logs only log requests to S3 buckets, not RDS connections.
Question 66 of 1,730
Enable RDS Audit Logs and Export to CloudWatch
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of database security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 using an RDS for MySQL DB instance encrypted at rest with AWS KMS. The security team requires that all access to the database be logged, including queries that fail due to authentication errors. Which configuration meets this requirement?
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 the RDS audit log by setting the 'audit_log_enabled' parameter to 1 in the DB parameter group and export logs to CloudWatch Logs.
Option A is correct because RDS for MySQL supports audit logs that can capture authentication failures and queries. By setting the 'audit_log_enabled' parameter to 1 in the DB parameter group and exporting logs to CloudWatch Logs, you meet the requirement to log all access including failed authentication attempts. Option B is incorrect because Enhanced Monitoring provides OS-level metrics, not query logs. Option C is incorrect because AWS CloudTrail logs control plane API calls for RDS, not data plane activities like database queries. Option D is incorrect because S3 server access logs capture requests made to S3 buckets, not database connections.
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.
- ✓
Enable the RDS audit log by setting the 'audit_log_enabled' parameter to 1 in the DB parameter group and export logs to CloudWatch Logs.
Why this is correct
Audit logs capture authentication failures and queries; exporting to CloudWatch allows monitoring.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable RDS Enhanced Monitoring and publish metrics to CloudWatch.
Why it's wrong here
Enhanced Monitoring provides OS-level metrics, not query logs.
- ✗
Enable AWS CloudTrail for the RDS instance and store logs in S3.
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs API calls, not database queries.
- ✗
Use S3 server access logs to capture database connection attempts.
Why it's wrong here
S3 access logs only log requests to S3 buckets, not RDS connections.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
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.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
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.
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Database Security — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DBS-C01 question test?
Database Security — This question tests Database Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable the RDS audit log by setting the 'audit_log_enabled' parameter to 1 in the DB parameter group and export logs to CloudWatch Logs. — Option A is correct because RDS for MySQL supports audit logs that can capture authentication failures and queries. By setting the 'audit_log_enabled' parameter to 1 in the DB parameter group and exporting logs to CloudWatch Logs, you meet the requirement to log all access including failed authentication attempts. Option B is incorrect because Enhanced Monitoring provides OS-level metrics, not query logs. Option C is incorrect because AWS CloudTrail logs control plane API calls for RDS, not data plane activities like database queries. Option D is incorrect because S3 server access logs capture requests made to S3 buckets, not database connections.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
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.
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 company has a multi-AZ RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance. The security team wants to ensure that database audit logs are stored in CloudWatch Logs for real-time monitoring. The team enabled the 'pgaudit.log' parameter and set 'log_destination' to 'csvlog'. However, logs are not appearing in CloudWatch. What is the most likely cause?
hard- A.The DB instance is multi-AZ, which prevents log delivery to CloudWatch.
- B.AWS CloudTrail is not enabled for the RDS instance.
- C.The DB parameter group is not associated with the DB instance.
- ✓ D.The 'rds.logs_to_cloudwatch' parameter is not set to 1.
Why D: Option D is correct because RDS publishes logs to CloudWatch only if the 'rds.logs_to_cloudwatch' parameter is set to 1. Option A is wrong because multi-AZ does not prevent log delivery. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail is not involved in log delivery to CloudWatch; it's about API activity logging. Option C is wrong because the DB parameter group is associated; the issue is that the specific parameter 'rds.logs_to_cloudwatch' is not set.
Keep practising
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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.
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