The correct answer is to enable RDS Proxy for the cluster because it directly addresses the root cause of connection timeouts in Aurora MySQL during peak traffic. RDS Proxy establishes a managed connection pool that reuses database connections, drastically reducing the overhead of establishing new connections and preventing the writer instance from being overwhelmed by a flood of incoming requests. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of how connection pooling mitigates scaling bottlenecks, a common scenario where candidates mistakenly focus on increasing timeouts or adding readers. The trap is that raising the connect_timeout parameter only delays the failure without solving the underlying resource contention, while adding reader instances does nothing to alleviate writer-side connection limits. Remember the mnemonic: “Proxy pools, timeouts drop; readers won’t make the writer stop.”
DBS-C01 Management and Operations Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of management and operations. 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 company runs an Amazon Aurora MySQL database cluster with one writer and one reader instance. The application experiences intermittent connection timeouts during peak traffic. The DB cluster parameter group has 'connect_timeout' set to 5 seconds. What should a database specialist recommend to reduce connection timeouts?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable RDS Proxy for the cluster.
Option B is correct because enabling RDS Proxy reduces connection overhead and provides a connection pool, mitigating timeouts. Option A is incorrect because increasing connect_timeout only delays the timeout, not the root cause. Option C is incorrect because adding readers does not help with writer connection timeouts. Option D is incorrect because the issue is not related to TLS.
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.
✗
Add additional reader instances to distribute the load.
Why it's wrong here
Connection timeouts are likely writer-side; readers do not help.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Increase the 'connect_timeout' parameter to 10 seconds.
Why it's wrong here
This only masks the symptom without solving the connection issue.
✗
Enable IAM database authentication and require TLS.
Why it's wrong here
Security measures do not reduce connection timeouts.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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.
Management and Operations — This question tests Management and Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable RDS Proxy for the cluster. — Option B is correct because enabling RDS Proxy reduces connection overhead and provides a connection pool, mitigating timeouts. Option A is incorrect because increasing connect_timeout only delays the timeout, not the root cause. Option C is incorrect because adding readers does not help with writer connection timeouts. Option D is incorrect because the issue is not related to TLS.
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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