The answer is to create a read replica and redirect read traffic to it, as this directly offloads SELECT queries from the primary instance to reduce CPU load. For a read-intensive web application, the primary bottleneck is often the CPU processing query execution, not storage or I/O; a read replica distributes that computational burden without requiring a larger, more expensive instance. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of horizontal scaling versus vertical scaling, with a common trap being to choose a larger instance (which increases cost significantly) or to add storage (which does not address CPU pressure). Remember the key distinction: read replicas reduce CPU load by shifting read operations, while Multi-AZ only provides high availability. Memory tip: “Replicas for reads, Multi-AZ for needs” — offload reads to replicas to keep the primary’s CPU cool.
DBS-C01 Monitoring and Troubleshooting Practice Question
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 database administrator notices that an Amazon RDS for MySQL instance's CPU utilization is consistently above 80% during peak hours. The DB instance is a db.r5.large with 16 GB memory and 500 GB gp2 storage. The application is a read-intensive web application. Which action is MOST effective to reduce CPU load without significant cost increase?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a read replica and redirect read traffic to it
Option B is correct because creating a read replica offloads read traffic from the primary instance, reducing CPU utilization without requiring a larger instance or more storage. Option A increases cost significantly. Option C may not help if the issue is CPU, not I/O. Option D increases storage but does not directly reduce CPU.
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.
✗
Increase the instance size to db.r5.xlarge
Why it's wrong here
This increases cost and may not be necessary if the issue can be solved by scaling reads.
✓
Create a read replica and redirect read traffic to it
Why this is correct
Offloads read queries, reducing CPU on the primary instance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable Performance Insights to identify slow queries and optimize them
Why it's wrong here
Helpful for query tuning but may not reduce overall CPU load quickly.
✗
Increase the allocated storage to 1000 GB to improve I/O performance
Why it's wrong here
More storage does not directly reduce CPU utilization.
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.
Monitoring and Troubleshooting — This question tests Monitoring and Troubleshooting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a read replica and redirect read traffic to it — Option B is correct because creating a read replica offloads read traffic from the primary instance, reducing CPU utilization without requiring a larger instance or more storage. Option A increases cost significantly. Option C may not help if the issue is CPU, not I/O. Option D increases storage but does not directly reduce CPU.
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.
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 database administrator notices that an Amazon RDS for Oracle DB instance's CPU utilization is consistently above 90% during peak hours. The application is read-heavy. Which action can reduce CPU load?
easy
A.Disable Multi-AZ to free up resources
B.Increase the allocated storage
C.Enable Performance Insights to optimize queries
✓ D.Create a read replica and direct read traffic to it
Why D: Option B is correct because creating a read replica offloads read traffic from the primary instance, reducing CPU usage. Option A is wrong because increasing instance size may help but is more costly; also, read replica is a better practice for read-heavy workloads. Option C is wrong because disabling Multi-AZ reduces availability, not CPU. Option D is wrong because enabling Performance Insights adds overhead, not reduces CPU.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
Question Discussion
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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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