The correct answer is to change the storage type to Provisioned IOPS (io1) and allocate sufficient IOPS. This directly addresses the root cause of write latency spikes on RDS MySQL because the current gp2 volume, even at 500 GB, has a baseline of only 1500 IOPS, which is easily exhausted during peak write loads. Provisioned IOPS guarantees consistent, low-latency I/O by decoupling performance from volume size, eliminating the burst-bucket exhaustion that causes spikes. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that Multi-AZ adds synchronous replication overhead and can actually increase write latency, while read replicas only offload reads. A common trap is assuming Multi-AZ improves write performance—it does not; it improves availability. Remember the mnemonic: “Write spikes need IOPS, not AZ flips.”
DBS-C01 Deployment and Migration Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of deployment and migration. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. A company's production RDS MySQL instance 'mydb' is configured as shown. The application experiences write latency spikes during peak hours. Which action would most effectively reduce write latency?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Change the storage type to Provisioned IOPS (io1) and allocate sufficient IOPS.
The instance is single-AZ, so enabling Multi-AZ provides a standby in another AZ, but does not directly reduce write latency. Upgrading to storage optimized instances (db.r5d) is not necessarily. Enabling Multi-AZ with synchronous standby can increase write latency due to sync replication. Actually, Multi-AZ does not improve write performance; it adds sync replication overhead. However, the correct answer here is to enable Multi-AZ to improve availability and potentially reduce latency by offloading reads? No, write latency spikes are typically due to storage I/O. The instance uses gp2, which has baseline IOPS of 1500 for 500 GB. Provisioned IOPS (io1) would improve consistent write performance. Option D (increase allocated storage) increases baseline IOPS but not as effective as provisioned IOPS. Option A (Multi-AZ) might increase latency. Option B (read replica) helps reads. Option C (provisioned IOPS) directly improves write performance.
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.
✓
Change the storage type to Provisioned IOPS (io1) and allocate sufficient IOPS.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create a Read Replica in a different region.
Why it's wrong here
Read replicas are for read scaling, not write latency.
✗
Increase the allocated storage to 1 TB to improve baseline IOPS.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing storage increases baseline IOPS but may not solve spikes; Provisioned IOPS is better.
✗
Enable Multi-AZ deployment to provide a standby instance.
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ can increase write latency due to synchronous replication.
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.
Deployment and Migration — This question tests Deployment and Migration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Change the storage type to Provisioned IOPS (io1) and allocate sufficient IOPS. — The instance is single-AZ, so enabling Multi-AZ provides a standby in another AZ, but does not directly reduce write latency. Upgrading to storage optimized instances (db.r5d) is not necessarily. Enabling Multi-AZ with synchronous standby can increase write latency due to sync replication. Actually, Multi-AZ does not improve write performance; it adds sync replication overhead. However, the correct answer here is to enable Multi-AZ to improve availability and potentially reduce latency by offloading reads? No, write latency spikes are typically due to storage I/O. The instance uses gp2, which has baseline IOPS of 1500 for 500 GB. Provisioned IOPS (io1) would improve consistent write performance. Option D (increase allocated storage) increases baseline IOPS but not as effective as provisioned IOPS. Option A (Multi-AZ) might increase latency. Option B (read replica) helps reads. Option C (provisioned IOPS) directly improves write performance.
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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