DBS-C01 Deployment and Migration Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of deployment and migration. 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.
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. A company wants to migrate this RDS MySQL instance to an Aurora MySQL cluster with encryption at rest. What is the most efficient approach?
Network Topology
A
Use AWS DMS to migrate the database to an encrypted Aurora cluster.
Why wrong: DMS is an option but less efficient than a snapshot-based approach.
B
Create a snapshot of the RDS instance, copy the snapshot with encryption, then restore to an Aurora cluster.
Copying the snapshot enables encryption, then restoring to Aurora creates an encrypted cluster.
C
Create a snapshot of the RDS instance and restore it directly to an Aurora cluster.
Why wrong: The snapshot is unencrypted; Aurora requires encryption to be enabled at cluster creation.
D
Create an encrypted read replica in Aurora and promote it.
Why wrong: You cannot create an encrypted Aurora replica from an unencrypted RDS instance.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a snapshot of the RDS instance, copy the snapshot with encryption, then restore to an Aurora cluster.
Option B is correct because it is the most efficient approach to migrate an RDS MySQL instance to an encrypted Aurora MySQL cluster. You first create a snapshot of the RDS instance, then copy that snapshot with encryption enabled (using an AWS KMS key), and finally restore the encrypted snapshot to an Aurora cluster. This method ensures encryption at rest is applied during the migration without requiring additional data transfer or schema conversion.
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.
✗
Use AWS DMS to migrate the database to an encrypted Aurora cluster.
Why it's wrong here
DMS is an option but less efficient than a snapshot-based approach.
✓
Create a snapshot of the RDS instance, copy the snapshot with encryption, then restore to an Aurora cluster.
Why this is correct
Copying the snapshot enables encryption, then restoring to Aurora creates an encrypted cluster.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create a snapshot of the RDS instance and restore it directly to an Aurora cluster.
Why it's wrong here
The snapshot is unencrypted; Aurora requires encryption to be enabled at cluster creation.
✗
Create an encrypted read replica in Aurora and promote it.
Why it's wrong here
You cannot create an encrypted Aurora replica from an unencrypted RDS instance.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume DMS is the only migration tool for cross-engine or encryption changes, but for RDS MySQL to Aurora MySQL with encryption, a snapshot copy with encryption is more efficient and avoids unnecessary data movement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When you copy an RDS snapshot with encryption, AWS re-encrypts the entire snapshot using the specified KMS key, which allows the restored Aurora cluster to have encryption at rest enabled. This process is efficient because it uses the snapshot copy mechanism, which is optimized for large datasets and avoids the overhead of a full logical dump or DMS task. In real-world scenarios, this approach is preferred for migrating large production databases where minimizing downtime is critical, as the snapshot copy and restore can be automated and completed in a predictable time frame.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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.
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 snapshot of the RDS instance, copy the snapshot with encryption, then restore to an Aurora cluster. — Option B is correct because it is the most efficient approach to migrate an RDS MySQL instance to an encrypted Aurora MySQL cluster. You first create a snapshot of the RDS instance, then copy that snapshot with encryption enabled (using an AWS KMS key), and finally restore the encrypted snapshot to an Aurora cluster. This method ensures encryption at rest is applied during the migration without requiring additional data transfer or schema conversion.
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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Question Discussion
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