Quick Answer
The answer is FreeableMemory and SwapUsage. FreeableMemory directly shows the amount of RAM available to the RDS instance, and when it drops near zero, the instance is starved for memory. SwapUsage indicates memory pressure when it exceeds zero, because the operating system begins swapping memory pages to disk, which severely degrades performance. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this pairing tests your ability to distinguish direct memory indicators from indirect or unrelated metrics—common traps include mistaking CPUUtilization or ReadIOPS for memory signals, or assuming DatabaseConnections alone confirms memory pressure. Remember the memory pressure rule: if FreeableMemory is low and SwapUsage is above zero, you have a constraint. A quick mnemonic is "Free and Swap, the memory trap"—monitor both to catch real pressure, not just connection counts or I/O spikes.
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.
Which TWO metrics should be monitored to detect an Amazon RDS for MySQL instance that is experiencing memory pressure? (Choose 2.)
SwapUsage
High swap usage indicates memory pressure.
DatabaseConnections
Why wrong: Connections consume memory but are not direct metric.
ReadIOPS
Why wrong: I/O metric.
FreeableMemory
Low freeable memory indicates pressure.
CPUUtilization
Why wrong: CPU metric.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
SwapUsage
B and D are correct. SwapUsage indicates memory pressure when it exceeds 0. FreeableMemory shows available memory. A is wrong because CPUUtilization is CPU, not memory. C is wrong because DatabaseConnections affects memory but is indirect. E is wrong because ReadIOPS is disk I/O.
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.
SwapUsage
Why this is correct
High swap usage indicates memory pressure.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
DatabaseConnections
Why it's wrong here
Connections consume memory but are not direct metric.
ReadIOPS
Why it's wrong here
I/O metric.
FreeableMemory
Why this is correct
Low freeable memory indicates pressure.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
CPUUtilization
Why it's wrong here
CPU metric.
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.
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 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
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: SwapUsage — B and D are correct. SwapUsage indicates memory pressure when it exceeds 0. FreeableMemory shows available memory. A is wrong because CPUUtilization is CPU, not memory. C is wrong because DatabaseConnections affects memory but is indirect. E is wrong because ReadIOPS is disk I/O.
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.
About these practice questions
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Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. An Amazon RDS for Oracle instance is experiencing high swap usage. Which metric should be monitored to determine if the instance is memory-constrained?
easyWhy B: SwapUsage indicates that the instance is using swap space, which is a sign of memory pressure. CPUUtilization is for CPU, not memory. FreeableMemory shows available memory, but swap usage directly indicates memory constraint.
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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