Quick Answer
The correct answers are Amazon ElastiCache for Redis with replication and DynamoDB. ElastiCache for Redis is ideal because it provides sub-millisecond latency in-memory storage, and enabling replication ensures high availability by maintaining copies of the session data across multiple nodes, which is critical for ephemeral session state that must survive individual node failures. DynamoDB is also suitable because it is a fully managed, highly available key-value store with single-digit millisecond performance, making it a durable and scalable option for session state without the overhead of managing servers. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between low-latency, ephemeral storage services and relational or data warehouse solutions; a common trap is selecting Amazon RDS or S3, but RDS is optimized for structured relational data and S3 lacks the low-latency access required for session lookups. Memory tip: think “session state needs speed and survival” — Redis for speed with replication, DynamoDB for survival with built-in HA.
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of workload-specific database design. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 wants to store session state for a web application that runs on Amazon EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer. The session data is ephemeral and must be highly available. Which two AWS services are suitable for this use case? (Choose two.)
Amazon DynamoDB
Fast, scalable, and highly available key-value store.
Amazon ElastiCache for Redis with replication
In-memory, low-latency, and highly available.
Amazon Redshift
Why wrong: Data warehouse, not for session state.
Amazon S3
Why wrong: Object storage with higher latency.
Amazon RDS for MySQL
Why wrong: Not optimized for ephemeral session data.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon DynamoDB
Option A (ElastiCache for Redis) is correct because it provides low-latency in-memory storage with replication for HA. Option C (DynamoDB) is correct because it is a highly available, fast key-value store. Option B is wrong because RDS is relational and not optimized for session state. Option D is wrong because S3 is not low-latency. Option E is wrong because Redshift is a data warehouse.
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.
Amazon DynamoDB
Why this is correct
Fast, scalable, and highly available key-value store.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon ElastiCache for Redis with replication
Why this is correct
In-memory, low-latency, and highly available.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon Redshift
Why it's wrong here
Data warehouse, not for session state.
Amazon S3
Why it's wrong here
Object storage with higher latency.
Amazon RDS for MySQL
Why it's wrong here
Not optimized for ephemeral session data.
Common exam traps
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
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.
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
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.
Workload-Specific Database Design — study guide chapter
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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: Amazon DynamoDB — Option A (ElastiCache for Redis) is correct because it provides low-latency in-memory storage with replication for HA. Option C (DynamoDB) is correct because it is a highly available, fast key-value store. Option B is wrong because RDS is relational and not optimized for session state. Option D is wrong because S3 is not low-latency. Option E is wrong because Redshift is a data warehouse.
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.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
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 company needs a database for a serverless web application that stores user sessions. The sessions expire after 24 hours. The database must be highly available and require no server management. Which AWS service is most appropriate?
easyWhy B: Amazon DynamoDB with TTL is the most appropriate choice because it provides a fully managed, serverless, highly available NoSQL database that can automatically expire user sessions after 24 hours using the Time to Live (TTL) feature. DynamoDB's on-demand capacity mode eliminates server management, and its built-in replication across multiple Availability Zones ensures high availability without any manual intervention.
Variation 2. A company needs to store session state for a web application that runs on Amazon EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer. The session data is small (less than 1 KB per user) and must be highly available with low latency. Which AWS database service is best for this use case?
easyWhy B: Amazon ElastiCache for Redis is ideal for storing session state because it is an in-memory key-value store with low latency and supports features like TTL and replication for high availability. Option B (DynamoDB) is wrong because it is not as fast for session state and is more expensive for small data. Option C (RDS) is wrong because it is a relational database with higher latency. Option D (S3) is wrong because it is object storage with higher latency.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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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