- A
Amazon DynamoDB for structured data and Amazon S3 for images with DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX)
Why wrong: DynamoDB does not support SQL queries.
- B
Amazon RDS for MySQL for structured data and Amazon EFS for images
Why wrong: EFS is a file system, not designed for high-throughput image serving.
- C
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL for structured data and Amazon S3 for images with Amazon CloudFront
RDS provides SQL; S3 and CloudFront serve images efficiently.
- D
Amazon Redshift for structured data and Amazon S3 for images
Why wrong: Redshift is for analytics, not transactional SQL queries.
Question 963 of 1,730
DBS-C01 Workload-Specific Database Design Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of workload-specific database design. 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 healthcare application requires storing patient records that include structured data (e.g., name, age) and unstructured data (e.g., medical images). The application needs to query structured data with SQL and serve images via HTTPS. Which combination of AWS services provides the MOST efficient design?
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
✓
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL for structured data and Amazon S3 for images with Amazon CloudFront
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL provides full SQL querying capabilities for structured patient data, while Amazon S3 with Amazon CloudFront offers scalable, low-latency HTTPS serving of medical images. CloudFront caches images at edge locations, reducing latency and offloading S3, which is the most efficient design for mixed structured/unstructured workloads.
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.
- ✗
Amazon DynamoDB for structured data and Amazon S3 for images with DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX)
Why it's wrong here
DynamoDB does not support SQL queries.
- ✗
Amazon RDS for MySQL for structured data and Amazon EFS for images
Why it's wrong here
EFS is a file system, not designed for high-throughput image serving.
- ✓
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL for structured data and Amazon S3 for images with Amazon CloudFront
Why this is correct
RDS provides SQL; S3 and CloudFront serve images efficiently.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amazon Redshift for structured data and Amazon S3 for images
Why it's wrong here
Redshift is for analytics, not transactional SQL queries.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may choose DynamoDB (Option A) thinking it handles both structured and unstructured data, but it lacks SQL support, which is explicitly required for querying structured data in this scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudFront integrates with S3 via origin access control (OAC) to securely serve images over HTTPS, and supports HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 for reduced latency. RDS for PostgreSQL can store image metadata and URLs, enabling efficient SQL joins and indexing, while S3 handles blob storage with 99.999999999% durability. In a real-world scenario, this design allows the application to query patient records with standard SQL and serve images from edge locations, minimizing load on the database.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DBS-C01 question test?
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: Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL for structured data and Amazon S3 for images with Amazon CloudFront — Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL provides full SQL querying capabilities for structured patient data, while Amazon S3 with Amazon CloudFront offers scalable, low-latency HTTPS serving of medical images. CloudFront caches images at edge locations, reducing latency and offloading S3, which is the most efficient design for mixed structured/unstructured workloads.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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