Quick Answer
The answer is to switch to Provisioned IOPS (io2) with 80,000 IOPS. This is the most effective change because the nightly batch updates are I/O-bound with high write throughput, meaning the bottleneck is disk latency and throughput, not CPU or memory. Provisioned IOPS on io2 volumes delivers consistent, low-latency I/O performance that can sustain the required write demand, directly slashing the batch window from six hours to under two. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between scaling compute (R5 instances) and scaling storage performance for write-heavy workloads—a classic trap is to over-provision vCPUs or memory when the real constraint is I/O. Remember the key insight: for I/O-bound batch processes, always look to increase IOPS before adding compute. Memory tip: “Batch writes need bites—IOPS, not chips.”
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 company uses Amazon RDS for SQL Server with a 4 TB database for a financial reporting application. The database performs nightly batch updates that take 6 hours. The company needs to reduce the batch update time to under 2 hours. The current instance is db.r5.8xlarge with 64 vCPUs and 512 GB memory. The batch process is I/O-bound with high write throughput. Which change will MOST effectively reduce the batch update time?
Upgrade to db.r5.16xlarge with 128 vCPUs.
Why wrong: vCPU is not the bottleneck.
Switch to Provisioned IOPS (io2) with 80,000 IOPS.
Eliminates I/O bottleneck with consistent performance.
Increase the instance memory to 1024 GB.
Why wrong: Does not directly improve I/O throughput.
Enable Multi-AZ deployment.
Why wrong: Does not improve write performance.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Switch to Provisioned IOPS (io2) with 80,000 IOPS.
The batch process is I/O-bound with high write throughput, so the bottleneck is disk I/O, not compute or memory. Switching to Provisioned IOPS (io2) with 80,000 IOPS provides a predictable, high-performance storage tier that can sustain the required write throughput, directly reducing the batch update time from 6 hours to under 2 hours. RDS for SQL Server on io2 volumes delivers consistent low-latency I/O, which is critical for write-heavy workloads.
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.
Upgrade to db.r5.16xlarge with 128 vCPUs.
Why it's wrong here
vCPU is not the bottleneck.
Switch to Provisioned IOPS (io2) with 80,000 IOPS.
Why this is correct
Eliminates I/O bottleneck with consistent performance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Increase the instance memory to 1024 GB.
Why it's wrong here
Does not directly improve I/O throughput.
Enable Multi-AZ deployment.
Why it's wrong here
Does not improve write performance.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often assume adding more vCPUs or memory will speed up any slow process, but the question explicitly states the workload is I/O-bound, so the correct solution must address storage performance, not compute or memory.
Detailed technical explanation
Provisioned IOPS (io2) volumes guarantee a specific IOPS level (up to 256,000 IOPS for larger volumes) with 99.999% durability, and RDS for SQL Server can leverage these IOPS for sustained write throughput. The db.r5.8xlarge instance supports up to 80,000 IOPS on io2 volumes, so the 80,000 IOPS configuration matches the instance's maximum EBS bandwidth, ensuring the I/O subsystem is not the bottleneck. In contrast, gp3 volumes have a baseline of 3,000 IOPS and burst up to 16,000 IOPS, which is insufficient for high-write batch operations.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Workload-Specific Database Design — This question tests Workload-Specific Database Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Switch to Provisioned IOPS (io2) with 80,000 IOPS. — The batch process is I/O-bound with high write throughput, so the bottleneck is disk I/O, not compute or memory. Switching to Provisioned IOPS (io2) with 80,000 IOPS provides a predictable, high-performance storage tier that can sustain the required write throughput, directly reducing the batch update time from 6 hours to under 2 hours. RDS for SQL Server on io2 volumes delivers consistent low-latency I/O, which is critical for write-heavy workloads.
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: Jun 24, 2026
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