Quick Answer
The correct answer is Innodb_row_lock_current_waits. This metric directly measures the number of transactions currently waiting for an InnoDB row-level lock, which is the precise cause when Threads_running remains high—often above 200—despite connection pooling limiting total connections. When many threads are actively running but not completing, they are typically blocked by lock contention rather than CPU or I/O, making this the root-cause indicator. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between concurrency metrics: Threads_running reflects active queries, while Innodb_row_lock_current_waits reveals how many are stuck waiting for locks. A common trap is choosing Connections, which counts all open connections (idle or active), or Slow_queries, which only logs queries exceeding a time threshold. Remember the mnemonic: “Running threads waiting for locks? Watch the row lock waits.”
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring and troubleshooting. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 developer is troubleshooting slow queries in Amazon RDS for MySQL. The 'Threads_running' status variable is consistently above 200. The application uses connection pooling. Which metric should be monitored to identify the root cause?
Innodb_row_lock_current_waits
High thread count with many lock waits indicates contention.
Queries_per_second
Why wrong: Throughput doesn't indicate concurrency issues.
Slow_queries
Why wrong: Slow queries are a subset; not all high threads are slow.
Threads_connected
Why wrong: Connected threads may be idle; running threads are active.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Innodb_row_lock_current_waits
Option A is correct because high 'Threads_running' often indicates queries waiting on locks or I/O. Option B is wrong because 'Connections' shows total connections, not concurrent active queries. Option C is wrong because 'Queries' shows total queries over time, not concurrency. Option D is wrong because 'Slow_queries' shows only long-running queries.
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.
Innodb_row_lock_current_waits
Why this is correct
High thread count with many lock waits indicates contention.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Queries_per_second
Why it's wrong here
Throughput doesn't indicate concurrency issues.
Slow_queries
Why it's wrong here
Slow queries are a subset; not all high threads are slow.
Threads_connected
Why it's wrong here
Connected threads may be idle; running threads are active.
Common exam traps
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
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
Monitoring and Troubleshooting — This question tests Monitoring and Troubleshooting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Innodb_row_lock_current_waits — Option A is correct because high 'Threads_running' often indicates queries waiting on locks or I/O. Option B is wrong because 'Connections' shows total connections, not concurrent active queries. Option C is wrong because 'Queries' shows total queries over time, not concurrency. Option D is wrong because 'Slow_queries' shows only long-running queries.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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