The correct answer is to enable Multi-AZ for automatic failover within a region and create a cross-region read replica for disaster recovery. Multi-AZ synchronously replicates data to a standby instance in a different Availability Zone, ensuring high availability by automatically failing over if the primary fails. A cross-region read replica asynchronously replicates data to a separate AWS Region, providing a recovery target if the entire primary region becomes unavailable. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between high availability within a region and cross-region disaster recovery, a common trap being to confuse automated backups or encryption with DR capabilities. Remember the memory tip: Multi-AZ is for HA within a region, cross-region read replicas are for DR across regions.
DBS-C01 Deployment and Migration Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of deployment and migration. 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 deploying a new MySQL database on Amazon RDS. The database must be highly available and support cross-Region disaster recovery. Which TWO actions should be taken? (Choose two.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a cross-region read replica.
Options A and C are correct. Enabling Multi-AZ provides high availability within a region. Creating a cross-region read replica provides disaster recovery. Option B is wrong because automated backups are for point-in-time recovery, not cross-region DR. Option D is wrong because RDS does not support Multi-Region Multi-AZ. Option E is wrong because encryption is for security, not HA or DR.
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 encryption at rest using AWS KMS.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption is for security, not HA or DR.
✗
Deploy a Multi-AZ instance in multiple regions.
Why it's wrong here
RDS does not support Multi-Region Multi-AZ.
✗
Enable automated backups with a retention period of 35 days.
Why it's wrong here
Backups are for recovery, not cross-region DR.
✓
Create a cross-region read replica.
Why this is correct
Provides disaster recovery in another region.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Enable Multi-AZ for automatic failover within a region.
Why this is correct
Provides high availability within a region.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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
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 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.
Deployment and Migration — This question tests Deployment and Migration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a cross-region read replica. — Options A and C are correct. Enabling Multi-AZ provides high availability within a region. Creating a cross-region read replica provides disaster recovery. Option B is wrong because automated backups are for point-in-time recovery, not cross-region DR. Option D is wrong because RDS does not support Multi-Region Multi-AZ. Option E is wrong because encryption is for security, not HA or DR.
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.
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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
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