Quick Answer
The correct answer is SwapUsage and FreeableMemory. When monitoring RDS PostgreSQL memory usage with CloudWatch metrics, FreeableMemory directly shows the available RAM on the instance, while SwapUsage indicates the amount of swap space consumed—a critical sign that the operating system is paging memory to disk because physical memory is running low. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding that standard memory metrics like RAM utilization are not natively exposed by RDS; instead, you must infer memory pressure from FreeableMemory dropping and SwapUsage rising. A common trap is confusing I/O or connection metrics with memory—ReadIOPS and DatabaseConnections are unrelated. Remember the memory tip: “Free is free, swap is a trap”—if FreeableMemory is low and SwapUsage is climbing, your instance is memory-starved.
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring and troubleshooting. 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 is monitoring an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance. The administrator notices that the DB instance is using more memory than expected. Which TWO metrics in Amazon CloudWatch can help diagnose memory usage?
NetworkReceiveThroughput
Why wrong: This is a network metric.
FreeableMemory
This metric shows the amount of available RAM.
ReadIOPS
Why wrong: ReadIOPS measures I/O operations per second.
DatabaseConnections
Why wrong: This shows the number of client connections.
SwapUsage
Swap usage indicates memory pressure.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
FreeableMemory
Option A is correct because FreeableMemory shows available memory. Option D is correct because SwapUsage indicates swapping, which occurs when memory is low. Option B is wrong because ReadIOPS is I/O metric. Option C is wrong because DatabaseConnections shows connections, not memory. Option E is wrong because NetworkReceiveThroughput is network metric.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
NetworkReceiveThroughput
Why it's wrong here
This is a network metric.
FreeableMemory
Why this is correct
This metric shows the amount of available RAM.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
ReadIOPS
Why it's wrong here
ReadIOPS measures I/O operations per second.
DatabaseConnections
Why it's wrong here
This shows the number of client connections.
SwapUsage
Why this is correct
Swap usage indicates memory pressure.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
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.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
This shows the number of client connections.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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
Monitoring and Troubleshooting — This question tests Monitoring and Troubleshooting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: FreeableMemory — Option A is correct because FreeableMemory shows available memory. Option D is correct because SwapUsage indicates swapping, which occurs when memory is low. Option B is wrong because ReadIOPS is I/O metric. Option C is wrong because DatabaseConnections shows connections, not memory. Option E is wrong because NetworkReceiveThroughput is network metric.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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