- A
Multi-AZ deployment without Read Replicas
Why wrong: No read scaling.
- B
Single-AZ with a Read Replica in the same region
Why wrong: No automatic failover.
- C
Multiple Read Replicas in different regions
Why wrong: No automatic failover.
- D
Multi-AZ deployment with one or more Read Replicas
Provides HA and read scaling.
Question 529 of 1,730
RDS PostgreSQL High Availability and Read Scaling Combination
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of deployment and migration. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 company is deploying a new web application using Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL. The application requires read-heavy workloads and automatic failover. Which configuration 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
✓
Multi-AZ deployment with one or more Read Replicas
Option D is correct because a Multi-AZ deployment provides automatic failover to a standby instance in a different Availability Zone, ensuring high availability. Adding one or more Read Replicas offloads read-heavy workloads from the primary instance, improving performance. This combination meets both the read-heavy and automatic failover requirements for the application.
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.
- ✗
Multi-AZ deployment without Read Replicas
Why it's wrong here
No read scaling.
- ✗
Single-AZ with a Read Replica in the same region
Why it's wrong here
No automatic failover.
- ✗
Multiple Read Replicas in different regions
Why it's wrong here
No automatic failover.
- ✓
Multi-AZ deployment with one or more Read Replicas
Why this is correct
Provides HA and read scaling.
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 assume Multi-AZ alone handles read scaling, but it does not; the standby in Multi-AZ is not accessible for reads, so Read Replicas are required for read-heavy workloads.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL, Multi-AZ uses a synchronous standby replica in a different AZ; failover is automatic via DNS update (CNAME switch) within 60-120 seconds. Read Replicas use asynchronous replication (based on PostgreSQL streaming replication), so they can lag behind the primary; they are not used for failover unless manually promoted. For read-heavy workloads, distributing reads across Read Replicas reduces load on the primary, while Multi-AZ ensures the standby is always in sync for failover.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DBS-C01 question test?
Deployment and Migration — This question tests Deployment and Migration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Multi-AZ deployment with one or more Read Replicas — Option D is correct because a Multi-AZ deployment provides automatic failover to a standby instance in a different Availability Zone, ensuring high availability. Adding one or more Read Replicas offloads read-heavy workloads from the primary instance, improving performance. This combination meets both the read-heavy and automatic failover requirements for the application.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on DBS-C01
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. A company is deploying a new application that uses Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL. The application must be highly available with automatic failover in the event of a database failure. Which configuration should be used?
medium- ✓ A.Deploy a Multi-AZ RDS instance with a standby in a different Availability Zone
- B.Use a read replica in a different Availability Zone
- C.Deploy the RDS instance in a single Availability Zone with automated backups
- D.Deploy the RDS instance in a Cross-Region replication configuration
Why A: Option A is correct because Multi-AZ RDS for PostgreSQL provides synchronous replication to a standby instance in a different Availability Zone, ensuring automatic failover with minimal data loss. This configuration meets the requirement for high availability and automatic failover without manual intervention, as the RDS service handles the DNS change and standby promotion.
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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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