- A
DatabaseConnections
This metric tracks the number of connections to the DB instance.
- B
CPUUtilization
Why wrong: This metric measures CPU usage, not connections.
- C
WriteLatency
Why wrong: This metric measures write operation latency, not connections.
- D
FreeableMemory
Why wrong: This metric tracks available memory, not connections.
Question 1,044 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 database administrator needs to monitor the number of connections to an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance. Which Amazon CloudWatch metric should be used?
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
✓
DatabaseConnections
The DatabaseConnections metric in Amazon CloudWatch directly reports the number of client connections to the RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance. This metric is published by the RDS service and reflects the count of active connections as seen by the database engine, making it the correct choice for monitoring connection counts.
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.
- ✓
DatabaseConnections
Why this is correct
This metric tracks the number of connections to the DB instance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
CPUUtilization
Why it's wrong here
This metric measures CPU usage, not connections.
- ✗
WriteLatency
Why it's wrong here
This metric measures write operation latency, not connections.
- ✗
FreeableMemory
Why it's wrong here
This metric tracks available memory, not connections.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates might confuse CPUUtilization or memory metrics with connection monitoring, but AWS explicitly provides the DatabaseConnections metric for this purpose, and the exam tests your knowledge of which specific CloudWatch metric maps to which operational need.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The DatabaseConnections metric is sourced from the PostgreSQL pg_stat_activity view, which lists all backend processes and their states. Under the hood, RDS collects this data every minute and publishes it to CloudWatch, allowing you to set alarms for connection limits (e.g., max_connections default is often 80 for db.t2.micro) or to correlate with application scaling events. In a real-world scenario, a sudden spike in DatabaseConnections could indicate a connection leak or a DDoS attack, requiring immediate investigation.
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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Management and Operations — study guide chapter
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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: DatabaseConnections — The DatabaseConnections metric in Amazon CloudWatch directly reports the number of client connections to the RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance. This metric is published by the RDS service and reflects the count of active connections as seen by the database engine, making it the correct choice for monitoring connection counts.
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
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.
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