- A
Create a read replica and redirect read traffic to it.
Why wrong: Read replicas do not help with write IOPS spikes on the primary. The issue is storage performance on the writer.
- B
Increase the DB instance to db.r5.xlarge to improve CPU and network performance.
Why wrong: The issue is IOPS credit exhaustion, not CPU or network. Increasing instance class does not affect storage IOPS baseline or burst behavior.
- C
Migrate the storage to gp3 with a baseline of 3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s throughput.
gp3 provides consistent baseline IOPS without burst credits, eliminating the performance variability due to credit exhaustion.
- D
Scale the storage to 1,000 GB to increase baseline IOPS and burst credits.
Why wrong: Increasing gp2 storage size increases baseline IOPS and burst credits, but the workload spikes exceed the new baseline, still causing credit consumption. Also, cost increases unnecessarily.
DBS-C01 gp2 Burst Credits Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring and troubleshooting. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: gp2 Burst Credits. 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 runs a production Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL Multi-AZ DB instance (db.r5.large) with 500 GB of General Purpose SSD (gp2) storage. The application experiences intermittent latency spikes every 15 minutes. Monitoring shows that during these spikes, the ReadIOPS metric on the primary instance spikes to 5,000 IOPS (the baseline is 1,500 IOPS), and the BurstBalance drops from 100% to 20% then recovers. There is no increase in CPU or connections. The application uses connection pooling with pgBouncer on an EC2 instance. The team has verified that no long-running queries or index scans are causing the spikes. Which action is MOST likely to resolve the intermittent latency?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
Migrate the storage to gp3 with a baseline of 3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s throughput.
Option C is correct because the latency spikes are caused by gp2 storage burst credit exhaustion. The 500 GB gp2 volume has a baseline of 1,500 IOPS, but the workload spikes to 5,000 IOPS every 15 minutes, rapidly consuming burst credits. Migrating to gp3 provides a baseline of 3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s throughput without relying on burst credits, thus eliminating the credit exhaustion issue. Option A (read replica) does not resolve the primary instance's write IOPS spikes. Option B (larger instance) does not address storage IOPS limitations; CPU and connections are already normal. Option D (scale storage to 1,000 GB) would increase the gp2 baseline to 3,000 IOPS and provide more burst credits, but gp3 offers a simpler, more cost-effective solution with consistent performance and no credit-based throttling.
Key principle: gp2 Burst Credits
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a read replica and redirect read traffic to it.
Why it's wrong here
Read replicas do not help with write IOPS spikes on the primary. The issue is storage performance on the writer.
- ✗
Increase the DB instance to db.r5.xlarge to improve CPU and network performance.
Why it's wrong here
The issue is IOPS credit exhaustion, not CPU or network. Increasing instance class does not affect storage IOPS baseline or burst behavior.
- ✓
Migrate the storage to gp3 with a baseline of 3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s throughput.
Why this is correct
gp3 provides consistent baseline IOPS without burst credits, eliminating the performance variability due to credit exhaustion.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "most likely", "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
gp2 Burst Credits
- ✗
Scale the storage to 1,000 GB to increase baseline IOPS and burst credits.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing gp2 storage size increases baseline IOPS and burst credits, but the workload spikes exceed the new baseline, still causing credit consumption. Also, cost increases unnecessarily.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Candidates often confuse gp2 burst credits with gp3's fixed performance. They may think increasing volume size alone will eliminate bursts, but gp2 always uses credits for spikes above baseline. Migrating to gp3 removes the burst mechanism entirely.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- gp2 Burst Credits
- gp3 Volume
- Read Replica
- Multi-AZ RDS
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
gp2 Burst Credits
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
Visual reference
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review gp2 Burst Credits, then practise related DBS-C01 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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Monitoring and Troubleshooting — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DBS-C01 question test?
Monitoring and Troubleshooting — This question tests Monitoring and Troubleshooting — gp2 Burst Credits.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Migrate the storage to gp3 with a baseline of 3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s throughput. — Option C is correct because the latency spikes are caused by gp2 storage burst credit exhaustion. The 500 GB gp2 volume has a baseline of 1,500 IOPS, but the workload spikes to 5,000 IOPS every 15 minutes, rapidly consuming burst credits. Migrating to gp3 provides a baseline of 3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s throughput without relying on burst credits, thus eliminating the credit exhaustion issue. Option A (read replica) does not resolve the primary instance's write IOPS spikes. Option B (larger instance) does not address storage IOPS limitations; CPU and connections are already normal. Option D (scale storage to 1,000 GB) would increase the gp2 baseline to 3,000 IOPS and provide more burst credits, but gp3 offers a simpler, more cost-effective solution with consistent performance and no credit-based throttling.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
Review gp2 Burst Credits, then practise related DBS-C01 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely", "primary". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
gp2 Burst Credits
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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