- A
Use Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes with provisioned IOPS.
Using Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes with provisioned IOPS provides high throughput and low latency, which helps the secondary node catch up quickly after a failover, reducing latency and improving reliability.
- B
Use Amazon EBS Multi-Attach to allow all replicas to share the same volume.
Why wrong: EBS Multi-Attach allows multiple EC2 instances to attach to the same EBS volume, but this is not recommended for MongoDB replica sets because it can cause data corruption due to concurrent writes without a proper distributed locking mechanism.
- C
Switch to instance store volumes for better I/O performance.
Why wrong: Instance store volumes provide high I/O performance but are ephemeral; data is lost if the instance stops or fails. This makes them unsuitable for a self-managed MongoDB cluster that requires persistent data.
- D
Configure EBS snapshots to be taken every 5 minutes.
Why wrong: EBS snapshots are used for backup and recovery, not for improving failover performance. While snapshots can help restore data after a failure, they do not reduce failover time or improve the new primary's latency.
DBS-C01 Monitoring and Troubleshooting 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. 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 running a self-managed MongoDB cluster on Amazon EC2. The cluster consists of three replica set members in different Availability Zones. The primary node recently experienced a crash, and the cluster failed over to a secondary. However, the new primary is showing significantly higher latency. The operations team wants to ensure that failover is fast and consistent. What should be done to improve the failover reliability?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
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
Use Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes with provisioned IOPS.
Option A is correct because Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes provide high IOPS and low latency, which can significantly reduce the time required for a secondary node to catch up and become the new primary after a failover. This improves failover reliability and reduces latency spikes. Option B is incorrect: EBS Multi-Attach is designed for shared block storage across multiple instances and is not suitable for MongoDB replica sets; using it could lead to data corruption. Option C is incorrect: while instance store volumes offer high I/O performance, they are ephemeral; if the instance fails, data is lost, making them unreliable for database workloads. Option D is incorrect: EBS snapshots are for backup and disaster recovery, not for improving failover performance.
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 Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes with provisioned IOPS.
Why this is correct
Using Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes with provisioned IOPS provides high throughput and low latency, which helps the secondary node catch up quickly after a failover, reducing latency and improving reliability.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Amazon EBS Multi-Attach to allow all replicas to share the same volume.
Why it's wrong here
EBS Multi-Attach allows multiple EC2 instances to attach to the same EBS volume, but this is not recommended for MongoDB replica sets because it can cause data corruption due to concurrent writes without a proper distributed locking mechanism.
- ✗
Switch to instance store volumes for better I/O performance.
Why it's wrong here
Instance store volumes provide high I/O performance but are ephemeral; data is lost if the instance stops or fails. This makes them unsuitable for a self-managed MongoDB cluster that requires persistent data.
- ✗
Configure EBS snapshots to be taken every 5 minutes.
Why it's wrong here
EBS snapshots are used for backup and recovery, not for improving failover performance. While snapshots can help restore data after a failure, they do not reduce failover time or improve the new primary's latency.
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
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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.
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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 — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes with provisioned IOPS. — Option A is correct because Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes provide high IOPS and low latency, which can significantly reduce the time required for a secondary node to catch up and become the new primary after a failover. This improves failover reliability and reduces latency spikes. Option B is incorrect: EBS Multi-Attach is designed for shared block storage across multiple instances and is not suitable for MongoDB replica sets; using it could lead to data corruption. Option C is incorrect: while instance store volumes offer high I/O performance, they are ephemeral; if the instance fails, data is lost, making them unreliable for database workloads. Option D is incorrect: EBS snapshots are for backup and disaster recovery, not for improving failover performance.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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