- A
The instance is out of CPU credits and is being throttled; switch to a larger or non-burstable instance
Correct because T3 instances are burstable; if CPU credits are exhausted, the instance is throttled. Switching to a non-burstable or enabling unlimited mode resolves the issue.
- B
Enable Enhanced Monitoring to diagnose the issue
Why wrong: Incorrect. Enhanced Monitoring provides diagnostic metrics but does not fix CPU credit exhaustion.
- C
Increase the allocated storage to improve I/O
Why wrong: Incorrect. Increasing storage improves I/O but does not affect CPU credits.
- D
The instance is experiencing a failover; enable Multi-AZ
Why wrong: Incorrect. Multi-AZ provides failover redundancy, but the issue is CPU credit exhaustion, not a failover event.
Question 1,666 of 1,730
DBS-C01 Monitoring and Troubleshooting Practice Question
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 company runs a critical application on Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL. The application team reports that the database occasionally becomes unresponsive for a few seconds. CloudWatch metrics show 'CPUSurplusCreditsCharged' and 'CPUSurplusCredits' are not 0. The instance is a db.t3.medium. What is the likely cause and how should it be fixed?
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
✓
The instance is out of CPU credits and is being throttled; switch to a larger or non-burstable instance
Option A is correct because T3 instances are burstable and use CPU credits. When credits are exhausted, they can use surplus credits, which incur charges. If the workload is consistently high, the instance may run out of credits and become throttled, causing unresponsiveness. The fix is to switch to T3 unlimited mode (but that incurs charges) or use a non-burstable instance (e.g., M5). Option B is wrong because Enhanced Monitoring provides detailed OS-level metrics but does not prevent CPU credit exhaustion. Option C is wrong because increasing allocated storage does not affect CPU credits; it improves I/O performance. Option D is wrong because enabling Multi-AZ provides high availability and failover but does not resolve CPU credit issues.
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.
- ✓
The instance is out of CPU credits and is being throttled; switch to a larger or non-burstable instance
Why this is correct
Correct because T3 instances are burstable; if CPU credits are exhausted, the instance is throttled. Switching to a non-burstable or enabling unlimited mode resolves the issue.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable Enhanced Monitoring to diagnose the issue
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Enhanced Monitoring provides diagnostic metrics but does not fix CPU credit exhaustion.
- ✗
Increase the allocated storage to improve I/O
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Increasing storage improves I/O but does not affect CPU credits.
- ✗
The instance is experiencing a failover; enable Multi-AZ
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Multi-AZ provides failover redundancy, but the issue is CPU credit exhaustion, not a failover event.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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
How to think about this question
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.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
Visual reference
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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
Questions learners often ask
What does this DBS-C01 question test?
Monitoring and Troubleshooting — This question tests Monitoring and Troubleshooting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The instance is out of CPU credits and is being throttled; switch to a larger or non-burstable instance — Option A is correct because T3 instances are burstable and use CPU credits. When credits are exhausted, they can use surplus credits, which incur charges. If the workload is consistently high, the instance may run out of credits and become throttled, causing unresponsiveness. The fix is to switch to T3 unlimited mode (but that incurs charges) or use a non-burstable instance (e.g., M5). Option B is wrong because Enhanced Monitoring provides detailed OS-level metrics but does not prevent CPU credit exhaustion. Option C is wrong because increasing allocated storage does not affect CPU credits; it improves I/O performance. Option D is wrong because enabling Multi-AZ provides high availability and failover but does not resolve CPU credit issues.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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