- A
DatabaseConnections
This is the standard CloudWatch metric for active connections.
- B
ActiveConnections
Why wrong: This metric does not exist for RDS.
- C
ConnectionsCount
Why wrong: Not a standard CloudWatch metric for RDS.
- D
DBInstanceIdentifier
Why wrong: This is a dimension, not a metric.
Question 416 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 database connections to an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL instance. Which Amazon CloudWatch metric should the administrator 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
✓
DatabaseConnections
The correct metric is `DatabaseConnections`, which is published by Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL to CloudWatch. It reports the number of client network connections to the database instance, corresponding to the `numbackends` value from the `pg_stat_database` view. This metric directly reflects the current connection count and is the standard way to monitor connection usage for RDS PostgreSQL.
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 is the standard CloudWatch metric for active connections.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
ActiveConnections
Why it's wrong here
This metric does not exist for RDS.
- ✗
ConnectionsCount
Why it's wrong here
Not a standard CloudWatch metric for RDS.
- ✗
DBInstanceIdentifier
Why it's wrong here
This is a dimension, not a metric.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the metric name with generic terms like 'ActiveConnections' or 'ConnectionsCount', which sound plausible but are not the exact CloudWatch metric name published by RDS, leading them to pick a non-existent metric.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the `DatabaseConnections` metric is polled from the PostgreSQL `pg_stat_database` view every minute, aggregating the `numbackends` column across all databases. A common real-world scenario is setting a CloudWatch alarm on `DatabaseConnections` to trigger an auto-scaling action or alert when connections approach the `max_connections` parameter (default 80 for db.t2.micro), preventing application timeouts due to connection exhaustion.
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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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 correct metric is `DatabaseConnections`, which is published by Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL to CloudWatch. It reports the number of client network connections to the database instance, corresponding to the `numbackends` value from the `pg_stat_database` view. This metric directly reflects the current connection count and is the standard way to monitor connection usage for RDS PostgreSQL.
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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