The answer is to enable automated backups with a retention period of 35 days. This is correct because Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL automated backups provide point-in-time recovery (PITR) by continuously storing transaction logs, allowing you to restore the database to any second within the specified retention window, up to the maximum of 35 days. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that automated backups are the only native RDS feature that supports granular PITR without incurring excessive storage costs from frequent manual snapshots. A common trap is confusing manual snapshots or cross-region backups with PITR capabilities—manual snapshots capture only a single point in time, while cross-region snapshots are designed for disaster recovery, not granular recovery. Remember the memory tip: "Auto logs for PITR, manual snaps for a single star."
DBS-C01 Workload-Specific Database Design Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of workload-specific database design. 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 financial services company runs a critical PostgreSQL database on Amazon RDS. The database stores transaction records and requires point-in-time recovery (PITR) with a recovery window of 35 days. The database size is 500 GB and grows at 10 GB per day. The team wants to minimize storage costs while meeting the recovery SLA. Which backup strategy should they use?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable automated backups with a retention period of 35 days
Amazon RDS automated backups provide PITR within the retention period (up to 35 days). They store transaction logs continuously, allowing recovery to any second within the window. Option B is wrong because manual snapshots every hour would be expensive and cumbersome. Option C is wrong because cross-region snapshots do not provide PITR and are for disaster recovery. Option D is wrong because disabling automated backups and using pg_dump would lose ability to recover to a specific point in time.
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.
✗
Take manual snapshots every hour and retain for 35 days
Why it's wrong here
Manual snapshots do not provide PITR and are more expensive due to hourly full snapshots.
✓
Enable automated backups with a retention period of 35 days
Why this is correct
Automated backups provide PITR and are cost-effective; RDS manages log storage.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Disable automated backups and use pg_dump to S3 daily
Why it's wrong here
pg_dump provides only point-in-time of the dump, not continuous recovery.
✗
Use AWS Backup to copy snapshots to another region daily
Why it's wrong here
Cross-region copies are for DR, not PITR within the same region.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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.
Workload-Specific Database Design — This question tests Workload-Specific Database Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable automated backups with a retention period of 35 days — Amazon RDS automated backups provide PITR within the retention period (up to 35 days). They store transaction logs continuously, allowing recovery to any second within the window. Option B is wrong because manual snapshots every hour would be expensive and cumbersome. Option C is wrong because cross-region snapshots do not provide PITR and are for disaster recovery. Option D is wrong because disabling automated backups and using pg_dump would lose ability to recover to a specific point in time.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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 →
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 runs a critical PostgreSQL database on Amazon RDS and needs to implement point-in-time recovery (PITR) with a recovery window of the last 35 days. Currently, automated backups are set to retain for 35 days. The database size is 500 GB. What additional configuration is required?
hard
✓ A.No additional configuration is required; automated backups enable PITR
B.Enable manual snapshots every hour
C.Set up a replication slot and stream transaction logs to S3
D.Enable Multi-AZ deployment
Why A: Automated backups in RDS by default support PITR within the retention period. No additional configuration is needed. Option A (manual snapshots) is not required. Option B (Multi-AZ) doesn't affect PITR. Option D (log shipping) is not a separate feature.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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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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