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.
Refer to the exhibit. You run the command and get the output shown. The database is an RDS for MySQL instance. You need to connect to it from an EC2 instance in the same VPC. Which connection string should be used?
mysql -h mydb.123456789012.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com -P 3306 -u admin -p
Correct endpoint and port.
psql -h mydb.123456789012.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com -p 5432 -U admin
Why wrong: psql is for PostgreSQL.
mysql -h mydb.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com -P 3306 -u admin -p
Why wrong: Incorrect endpoint.
mysql -h mydb.123456789012.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com -P 5432 -u admin -p
Why wrong: Port 5432 is for PostgreSQL.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
mysql -h mydb.123456789012.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com -P 3306 -u admin -p
Option A is correct because the command uses the MySQL client (`mysql`) with the correct fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the RDS instance, which includes the AWS account ID and region, and the default MySQL port 3306. The `-u admin -p` flags specify the master username and prompt for a password, which is the standard way to connect to an RDS for MySQL instance from an EC2 instance in the same VPC.
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.
mysql -h mydb.123456789012.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com -P 3306 -u admin -p
Why this is correct
Correct endpoint and port.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
psql -h mydb.123456789012.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com -p 5432 -U admin
Why it's wrong here
psql is for PostgreSQL.
mysql -h mydb.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com -P 3306 -u admin -p
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect endpoint.
mysql -h mydb.123456789012.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com -P 5432 -u admin -p
Why it's wrong here
Port 5432 is for PostgreSQL.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse the default ports for MySQL (3306) and PostgreSQL (5432) or omit the account ID from the RDS endpoint, leading them to choose an option with an incorrect port or an incomplete hostname.
Detailed technical explanation
RDS for MySQL instances use a DNS name in the format `db-instance-name.account-id.region.rds.amazonaws.com`, where the account ID is a 12-digit number. The MySQL client connects over TCP port 3306 by default, and the `-h` flag must specify the exact endpoint; any deviation in the hostname or port will cause a connection failure. In a real-world scenario, if the security group for the RDS instance does not allow inbound traffic on port 3306 from the EC2 instance's security group, the connection will time out even with the correct string.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
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FAQ
Deployment and Migration — This question tests Deployment and Migration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: mysql -h mydb.123456789012.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com -P 3306 -u admin -p — Option A is correct because the command uses the MySQL client (`mysql`) with the correct fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the RDS instance, which includes the AWS account ID and region, and the default MySQL port 3306. The `-u admin -p` flags specify the master username and prompt for a password, which is the standard way to connect to an RDS for MySQL instance from an EC2 instance in the same VPC.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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