DBS-C01 Provisioned IOPS (io1) Practice Question
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?
⚠ Common exam trap
Multi-AZ improves availability but adds synchronous replication to the standby, which increases write latency. Candidates may incorrectly think Multi-AZ reduces write latency.
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
✓
Change the storage type to Provisioned IOPS (io1) and allocate sufficient IOPS.
The RDS MySQL instance uses gp2 storage with 500 GB, providing a baseline of 1500 IOPS (3 IOPS per GB). Write latency spikes during peak hours indicate that the workload is exceeding these IOPS, causing throttling. Changing to Provisioned IOPS (io1) allows allocating a higher, consistent IOPS level that matches the write workload, directly reducing write latency. Option D (Multi-AZ) adds synchronous replication overhead, increasing write latency. Option B (Read Replica) offloads reads, not writes. Option C (increasing storage) raises baseline IOPS but is less efficient and more costly than provisioning exact IOPS with io1.
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.
Why this is correct
Provisioned IOPS provides consistent, low-latency write performance.
- ✗
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.
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