- A
Create an Aurora MySQL replica from the RDS MySQL instance and promote it
This allows minimal downtime and uses native replication.
- B
Take a snapshot of the RDS instance and restore it to an Aurora cluster
Why wrong: Snapshot restore requires downtime and does not capture ongoing changes.
- C
Migrate to a larger RDS MySQL instance to handle the workload
Why wrong: This keeps the workload on RDS, not Aurora.
- D
Use AWS DMS with full load and ongoing replication
Why wrong: DMS is a viable option but is more complex and slower than native replication.
Question 265 of 1,730
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 has an Amazon RDS for MySQL database with Multi-AZ deployment. The database is experiencing high CPU utilization due to a reporting workload. The company wants to migrate to Amazon Aurora MySQL to improve performance and scalability. The migration must have minimal downtime. Which migration strategy meets these requirements?
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 an Aurora MySQL replica from the RDS MySQL instance and promote it
Option A is correct because creating an Aurora MySQL replica from an existing RDS MySQL instance uses the native MySQL replication protocol to perform an online migration with minimal downtime. Once the replica is fully synchronized, you can promote it to become a standalone Aurora cluster, which provides better performance and scalability for the reporting workload.
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 an Aurora MySQL replica from the RDS MySQL instance and promote it
Why this is correct
This allows minimal downtime and uses native replication.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Take a snapshot of the RDS instance and restore it to an Aurora cluster
Why it's wrong here
Snapshot restore requires downtime and does not capture ongoing changes.
- ✗
Migrate to a larger RDS MySQL instance to handle the workload
Why it's wrong here
This keeps the workload on RDS, not Aurora.
- ✗
Use AWS DMS with full load and ongoing replication
Why it's wrong here
DMS is a viable option but is more complex and slower than native replication.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume AWS DMS is the only way to achieve minimal downtime, but the native Aurora replica feature provides a simpler and faster migration path with even lower downtime when the source engine is compatible.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, creating an Aurora MySQL replica from an RDS MySQL instance uses MySQL's asynchronous binlog replication, where the Aurora cluster acts as a read replica that continuously applies changes from the source. During promotion, the replica stops replication and becomes a writable Aurora cluster, which can handle high-concurrency reporting workloads more efficiently due to Aurora's distributed storage architecture and improved buffer cache management. In real-world scenarios, this method is ideal when the source RDS instance is already running MySQL 5.6 or 5.7 and you need to migrate with a downtime window of only a few seconds during the promotion step.
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.
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Deployment and Migration — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DBS-C01 question test?
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 an Aurora MySQL replica from the RDS MySQL instance and promote it — Option A is correct because creating an Aurora MySQL replica from an existing RDS MySQL instance uses the native MySQL replication protocol to perform an online migration with minimal downtime. Once the replica is fully synchronized, you can promote it to become a standalone Aurora cluster, which provides better performance and scalability for the reporting workload.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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