- A
Migrate the transaction table to Amazon DynamoDB
Why wrong: DynamoDB does not support complex JOINs or analytical queries.
- B
Use Amazon Redshift for analytics and load data via AWS DMS
Redshift is purpose-built for analytics; DMS can replicate data from RDS.
- C
Store order data in Amazon S3 and query with Amazon Athena
Why wrong: While possible, it is not a direct solution without additional ETL.
- D
Enable Multi-AZ to use the standby for queries
Why wrong: The standby is not accessible for read queries.
- E
Create an Amazon RDS read replica for analytical queries
Read replicas can handle SELECT queries without affecting the primary.
Question 18 of 1,730
DBS-C01 Workload-Specific Database Design Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of workload-specific database design. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
An e-commerce company uses Amazon RDS for MySQL to store order data. They need to run complex analytical queries on the data without impacting the performance of the transactional workload. Which TWO solutions should they implement? (Choose TWO.)
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 Redshift for analytics and load data via AWS DMS
Option B is correct because Amazon Redshift is purpose-built for complex analytical queries on large datasets, and AWS DMS can continuously replicate data from RDS for MySQL into Redshift without impacting the source transactional workload. This separates OLTP and OLAP environments, ensuring performance isolation.
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.
- ✗
Migrate the transaction table to Amazon DynamoDB
Why it's wrong here
DynamoDB does not support complex JOINs or analytical queries.
- ✓
Use Amazon Redshift for analytics and load data via AWS DMS
Why this is correct
Redshift is purpose-built for analytics; DMS can replicate data from RDS.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Store order data in Amazon S3 and query with Amazon Athena
Why it's wrong here
While possible, it is not a direct solution without additional ETL.
- ✗
Enable Multi-AZ to use the standby for queries
Why it's wrong here
The standby is not accessible for read queries.
- ✓
Create an Amazon RDS read replica for analytical queries
Why this is correct
Read replicas can handle SELECT queries without affecting the primary.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Multi-AZ read replicas with the standby instance, mistakenly believing the standby can serve queries, when in fact only a dedicated read replica (Option E) can offload read traffic for analytics.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS DMS supports ongoing replication using change data capture (CDC) from MySQL binary logs, enabling near-real-time synchronization to Redshift. Redshift uses columnar storage, compression, and massively parallel processing (MPP) to execute complex aggregations and joins across billions of rows, which is orders of magnitude faster than MySQL for analytical workloads. In practice, this architecture is common for e-commerce companies that need to run daily sales reports, inventory forecasting, or customer segmentation without slowing down order processing.
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 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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Workload-Specific Database Design — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DBS-C01 question test?
Workload-Specific Database Design — This question tests Workload-Specific Database Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Amazon Redshift for analytics and load data via AWS DMS — Option B is correct because Amazon Redshift is purpose-built for complex analytical queries on large datasets, and AWS DMS can continuously replicate data from RDS for MySQL into Redshift without impacting the source transactional workload. This separates OLTP and OLAP environments, ensuring performance isolation.
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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