The correct answer is to modify the DB instance to increase allocated storage immediately. When the DiskQueueDepth metric is consistently high and FreeStorageSpace is below 10%, the underlying issue is a physical storage shortage that forces the operating system to queue I/O requests, causing latency and risking throttling. Increasing storage not only provides more space but also often boosts the baseline I/O performance of the instance, directly alleviating the queue depth. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of RDS storage mechanics under OLTP workloads—a common trap is to jump to Provisioned IOPS or a larger instance class, but those do not resolve the immediate lack of free space. Remember the mnemonic: “Full disk, deep queue? Add storage, not IOPS or new.”
DBS-C01 Management and Operations Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of management and operations. 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 Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL database. They notice that the 'DiskQueueDepth' metric is consistently high and the 'FreeStorageSpace' is below 10%. The database is used for OLTP workloads. What is the MOST immediate action to take?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Modify the DB instance to increase allocated storage.
Option B is correct because increasing storage quickly avoids potential downtime and I/O throttling. Option A is wrong because switching to Provisioned IOPS addresses latency but not the storage shortage. Option C is wrong because adding a read replica does not increase storage on the primary. Option D is wrong because modifying the instance class may not address storage space.
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.
✗
Upgrade to a larger DB instance class.
Why it's wrong here
A larger instance class provides more CPU/memory but does not directly increase storage.
✓
Modify the DB instance to increase allocated storage.
Why this is correct
Increasing storage immediately addresses the low free space and can reduce disk queue depth by allowing more I/O operations.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Switch the instance to Provisioned IOPS storage.
Why it's wrong here
Provisioned IOPS helps I/O performance but does not free up storage space.
✗
Create a read replica to offload read traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Read replicas do not increase storage on the primary instance.
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.
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.
Management and Operations — This question tests Management and Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Modify the DB instance to increase allocated storage. — Option B is correct because increasing storage quickly avoids potential downtime and I/O throttling. Option A is wrong because switching to Provisioned IOPS addresses latency but not the storage shortage. Option C is wrong because adding a read replica does not increase storage on the primary. Option D is wrong because modifying the instance class may not address storage space.
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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Question Discussion
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