- A
Create an IAM role with a policy that allows rds:Connect and attach it to the RDS instance.
Why wrong: The correct action is rds-db:connect, and the IAM role is assumed by the user, not the RDS instance.
- B
Create a database user with a password and attach an IAM role that allows rds-db:connect to the database user.
Why wrong: The database user must be created with AWSAuthenticationPlugin, not with a password, and IAM roles are attached to users, not database users.
- C
Enable SSL on the RDS instance and create an IAM policy that allows rds:Connect.
Why wrong: IAM database authentication does not require SSL, and the action is rds-db:connect, not rds:Connect.
- D
Create an IAM policy that allows the rds-db:connect action and map the IAM role to a database user created with the AWSAuthenticationPlugin.
This is the correct procedure for IAM database authentication with RDS MySQL.
RDS IAM Database Authentication — Step-by-Step Setup
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of database security. 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.
A company is using Amazon RDS for MySQL with encryption at rest enabled. The security team requires that all access to the database be authenticated using IAM database authentication. Which combination of steps must the company take to meet this requirement?
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
Create an IAM policy that allows the rds-db:connect action and map the IAM role to a database user created with the AWSAuthenticationPlugin.
The correct answer is D. IAM database authentication for Amazon RDS MySQL requires creating an IAM policy that allows the rds-db:connect action, then mapping that IAM role/entity to a database user created with the AWSAuthenticationPlugin. This enables authentication via IAM credentials instead of a password. Option A is incorrect because rds:Connect is not a valid action; the correct action is rds-db:connect, and the IAM role is not attached to the RDS instance but mapped to a database user. Option B is incorrect because IAM database authentication does not use passwords; the database user must be created with AWSAuthenticationPlugin, not with a password. Option C is incorrect because SSL is not required for IAM database authentication, though it is recommended for encryption in transit; also, the correct action is rds-db:connect, not rds:Connect.
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.
- ✗
Create an IAM role with a policy that allows rds:Connect and attach it to the RDS instance.
Why it's wrong here
The correct action is rds-db:connect, and the IAM role is assumed by the user, not the RDS instance.
- ✗
Create a database user with a password and attach an IAM role that allows rds-db:connect to the database user.
Why it's wrong here
The database user must be created with AWSAuthenticationPlugin, not with a password, and IAM roles are attached to users, not database users.
- ✗
Enable SSL on the RDS instance and create an IAM policy that allows rds:Connect.
Why it's wrong here
IAM database authentication does not require SSL, and the action is rds-db:connect, not rds:Connect.
- ✓
Create an IAM policy that allows the rds-db:connect action and map the IAM role to a database user created with the AWSAuthenticationPlugin.
Why this is correct
This is the correct procedure for IAM database authentication with RDS MySQL.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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?
Database Security — This question tests Database Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an IAM policy that allows the rds-db:connect action and map the IAM role to a database user created with the AWSAuthenticationPlugin. — The correct answer is D. IAM database authentication for Amazon RDS MySQL requires creating an IAM policy that allows the rds-db:connect action, then mapping that IAM role/entity to a database user created with the AWSAuthenticationPlugin. This enables authentication via IAM credentials instead of a password. Option A is incorrect because rds:Connect is not a valid action; the correct action is rds-db:connect, and the IAM role is not attached to the RDS instance but mapped to a database user. Option B is incorrect because IAM database authentication does not use passwords; the database user must be created with AWSAuthenticationPlugin, not with a password. Option C is incorrect because SSL is not required for IAM database authentication, though it is recommended for encryption in transit; also, the correct action is rds-db:connect, not rds:Connect.
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.
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
2 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 uses Amazon RDS for MySQL with encryption at rest enabled. The security team mandates that all access to the database must be authenticated using IAM database authentication. The database administrator has created a user 'app_user' and granted appropriate privileges. However, when the application tries to connect using an IAM authentication token, it receives an 'Access denied' error. Which action should be taken to resolve this issue?
medium- A.Create a password for 'app_user' and use that password in the connection string.
- B.Modify the security group to allow inbound traffic on port 3306 from the application's IP address.
- ✓ C.Ensure the IAM role used by the application has a name that matches the database user 'app_user' and has the necessary policy attached.
- D.Download the latest Amazon RDS CA certificate and add it to the application trust store.
Why C: Option C is correct because IAM database authentication for RDS MySQL requires that the database user name matches the IAM role or user name used to generate the authentication token. The IAM role must have a policy that allows the `rds-db:connect` action with a resource ARN specifying the database user. Without this exact match, the authentication token is rejected, resulting in an 'Access denied' error.
Variation 2. A financial services company uses Amazon RDS for MySQL to store sensitive customer data. The compliance team requires that all database administrators (DBAs) must authenticate using IAM database authentication, and no static database passwords should be used. A junior DBA has been granted the rds_iam role in the database. However, the junior DBA is unable to connect using the AWS CLI command: aws rds generate-db-auth-token --hostname mydb.xyz.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com --port 3306 --username jdba. The error message says 'Access denied'. What is the most likely cause?
hard- A.The RDS instance does not have a resource-based policy that grants the junior DBA access.
- B.The junior DBA is not using an SSL connection to the database.
- C.The security group does not allow inbound traffic on port 3306 from the junior DBA's IP address.
- ✓ D.The RDS instance does not have IAM database authentication enabled.
Why D: Option D is correct because for IAM database authentication to work, the RDS instance must have the 'IAM DB authentication' setting enabled. If it is not enabled, the authentication token generated by `generate-db-auth-token` will be rejected with an 'Access denied' error. Option A is incorrect because RDS does not use resource-based policies; IAM policies are attached to users/roles. Option B is incorrect because SSL is required for IAM auth, but a missing SSL connection would result in a different error (e.g., 'SSL required'). Option C is incorrect because network issues would typically cause a timeout or connection refused, not an authentication error.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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