- A
Create a read replica with the new major version, promote it to primary, and update the application connection string.
This minimizes downtime by using a replica.
- B
Take a snapshot of the database, launch a new instance from the snapshot, and upgrade it.
Why wrong: Snapshot restore takes time and does not include real-time changes.
- C
Modify the DB instance to the new version directly using the AWS Management Console.
Why wrong: Direct modification results in downtime.
- D
Schedule a maintenance window during off-peak hours and apply the upgrade.
Why wrong: This causes downtime during the upgrade.
Question 732 of 1,730
DBS-C01 Management and Operations Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of management and operations. 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 runs a production Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL database. The database specialist needs to perform a major version upgrade with minimal downtime. Which strategy should the specialist 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
✓
Create a read replica with the new major version, promote it to primary, and update the application connection string.
Option A is correct because creating a read replica with the new major version, promoting it to primary, and updating the application connection string minimizes downtime by allowing the replica to catch up with the source database before promotion. This approach avoids the prolonged unavailability associated with in-place upgrades, as the promotion process typically takes only a few seconds, and the application can be switched over with a simple connection string update.
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.
- ✓
Create a read replica with the new major version, promote it to primary, and update the application connection string.
Why this is correct
This minimizes downtime by using a replica.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Take a snapshot of the database, launch a new instance from the snapshot, and upgrade it.
Why it's wrong here
Snapshot restore takes time and does not include real-time changes.
- ✗
Modify the DB instance to the new version directly using the AWS Management Console.
Why it's wrong here
Direct modification results in downtime.
- ✗
Schedule a maintenance window during off-peak hours and apply the upgrade.
Why it's wrong here
This causes downtime during the upgrade.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume in-place upgrades via maintenance windows or direct modification are sufficient for minimal downtime, but they fail to recognize that major version upgrades require significant offline time, whereas the read replica promotion strategy effectively decouples the upgrade process from the production workload.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Amazon RDS read replicas use PostgreSQL's native streaming replication to maintain near-synchronous consistency. When promoting a read replica, the replication is stopped and the replica is made writable, which typically completes in seconds. This strategy is particularly effective for major version upgrades because the replica can be created with the target major version (e.g., PostgreSQL 14) while the source remains on the current version (e.g., PostgreSQL 12), allowing the replica to apply WAL logs from the source until promotion, minimizing data loss and downtime.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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.
- →
Management and Operations — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Management and Operations practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All DBS-C01 questions
1,730 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
DBS-C01 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related DBS-C01 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Workload-Specific Database Design practice questions
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Workload-Specific Database Design.
Deployment and Migration practice questions
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Deployment and Migration.
Management and Operations practice questions
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Management and Operations.
Monitoring and Troubleshooting practice questions
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Monitoring and Troubleshooting.
Database Security practice questions
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to Database Security.
DBS-C01 fundamentals practice questions
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to DBS-C01 fundamentals.
DBS-C01 scenario practice questions
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to DBS-C01 scenario.
DBS-C01 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise DBS-C01 questions linked to DBS-C01 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free DBS-C01 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DBS-C01 question test?
Management and Operations — This question tests Management and Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a read replica with the new major version, promote it to primary, and update the application connection string. — Option A is correct because creating a read replica with the new major version, promoting it to primary, and updating the application connection string minimizes downtime by allowing the replica to catch up with the source database before promotion. This approach avoids the prolonged unavailability associated with in-place upgrades, as the promotion process typically takes only a few seconds, and the application can be switched over with a simple connection string update.
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.
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 →
Keep practising
More DBS-C01 practice questions
- A company is deploying a new application on Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL. The security policy requires that all data be enc…
- Match each AWS service to its primary purpose.
- A financial services company runs a production Amazon Aurora MySQL database cluster (1 writer, 2 readers) in us-east-1.…
- A company is designing a database for a global e-commerce platform that requires low-latency reads and writes from multi…
- A security auditor reviews the output of a DynamoDB table description command as shown in the exhibit. Which statement a…
- A company is migrating an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. The database contains sensitive data tha…
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.