- A
Add enhanced monitoring to collect additional metrics.
Why wrong: Enhanced monitoring provides more data but does not resolve the issue.
- B
Enable slow query log and analyze queries.
Slow query log helps identify inefficient queries causing high resource usage.
- C
Create a read replica and redirect read traffic.
Why wrong: Read replicas are for read offloading, not for reducing connection timeouts on the primary.
- D
Failover to the standby instance to refresh connections.
Why wrong: Failover does not address the underlying performance issue.
Question 823 of 1,730
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 company is using Amazon RDS for MySQL with Multi-AZ deployment. The application team reports intermittent connection timeouts. CloudWatch shows increased DatabaseConnections and CPU Utilization during peak hours. Which action should the database specialist take to troubleshoot the issue?
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
✓
Enable slow query log and analyze queries.
Option B is correct because enabling the slow query log allows the database specialist to identify long-running or inefficient queries that contribute to high CPU utilization and increased database connections, leading to connection timeouts during peak hours. Option A is incorrect because Enhanced Monitoring provides additional metrics (e.g., OS-level metrics) but does not directly address the root cause of the timeouts; it is useful for deeper analysis but not the primary troubleshooting action. Option C is incorrect because creating a read replica and redirecting read traffic reduces load on the primary for read operations, but the issue likely involves write-intensive or poorly optimized queries affecting the primary; while it might alleviate some load, it is not a direct troubleshooting step to identify the cause. Option D is incorrect because failing over to the standby instance is for high availability and disaster recovery, not for resolving performance issues; it would restart the database but not fix the underlying queries or resource contention.
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 enhanced monitoring to collect additional metrics.
Why it's wrong here
Enhanced monitoring provides more data but does not resolve the issue.
- ✓
Enable slow query log and analyze queries.
Why this is correct
Slow query log helps identify inefficient queries causing high resource usage.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a read replica and redirect read traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Read replicas are for read offloading, not for reducing connection timeouts on the primary.
- ✗
Failover to the standby instance to refresh connections.
Why it's wrong here
Failover does not address the underlying performance issue.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
Visual reference
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.
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Monitoring and Troubleshooting — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DBS-C01 question test?
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: Enable slow query log and analyze queries. — Option B is correct because enabling the slow query log allows the database specialist to identify long-running or inefficient queries that contribute to high CPU utilization and increased database connections, leading to connection timeouts during peak hours. Option A is incorrect because Enhanced Monitoring provides additional metrics (e.g., OS-level metrics) but does not directly address the root cause of the timeouts; it is useful for deeper analysis but not the primary troubleshooting action. Option C is incorrect because creating a read replica and redirecting read traffic reduces load on the primary for read operations, but the issue likely involves write-intensive or poorly optimized queries affecting the primary; while it might alleviate some load, it is not a direct troubleshooting step to identify the cause. Option D is incorrect because failing over to the standby instance is for high availability and disaster recovery, not for resolving performance issues; it would restart the database but not fix the underlying queries or resource contention.
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
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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