Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon DynamoDB and Amazon Aurora Serverless v2. These two AWS services are correct because they both provide a fully managed, serverless database architecture that automatically scales to handle variable workloads without requiring any server provisioning or capacity planning. DynamoDB is a NoSQL key-value and document database that scales throughput and storage elastically on demand, while Aurora Serverless v2 is a relational database that instantly adjusts compute and memory capacity based on application load. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of which services eliminate infrastructure management for unpredictable traffic patterns—a common trap is confusing provisioned Aurora with its serverless variant. Remember the memory tip: “NoSQL scales on its own, SQL scales on demand” to distinguish DynamoDB’s automatic scaling from Aurora Serverless v2’s instant capacity adjustments.
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.
Which TWO AWS services can be used to implement a serverless database architecture for variable workloads?
Amazon Redshift
Why wrong: Redshift is not serverless; it requires provisioning.
Amazon Aurora Serverless v2
Aurora Serverless automatically scales capacity.
Amazon RDS Proxy
Why wrong: RDS Proxy is not a database; it's a proxy service.
Amazon ElastiCache
Why wrong: ElastiCache is not serverless.
Amazon DynamoDB
DynamoDB is a serverless NoSQL database.
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 Aurora Serverless v2
Amazon Aurora Serverless v2 is correct because it automatically scales database capacity up or down based on application demand, providing a serverless architecture for variable workloads without the need to manage database instances. Amazon DynamoDB is correct because it is a fully managed NoSQL serverless database that automatically scales throughput and storage to handle variable workloads, requiring no server provisioning or management.
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 Redshift
Why it's wrong here
Redshift is not serverless; it requires provisioning.
Amazon Aurora Serverless v2
Why this is correct
Aurora Serverless automatically scales capacity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon RDS Proxy
Why it's wrong here
RDS Proxy is not a database; it's a proxy service.
Amazon ElastiCache
Why it's wrong here
ElastiCache is not serverless.
Amazon DynamoDB
Why this is correct
DynamoDB is a serverless NoSQL database.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Amazon RDS Proxy (a connection management service) with a serverless database, or assume Amazon Redshift can function as a serverless transactional database, when in fact it is a data warehouse requiring cluster provisioning.
Detailed technical explanation
Aurora Serverless v2 uses an auto-scaling architecture that adjusts capacity in ACU (Aurora Capacity Units) increments as low as 0.5 ACU, scaling to hundreds of ACUs in seconds without downtime, making it ideal for unpredictable workloads. DynamoDB uses a distributed, shared-nothing architecture with automatic partitioning and on-demand capacity mode that can handle millions of requests per second, with single-digit millisecond latency. Both services eliminate the need for capacity planning and provide pay-per-request billing, which is critical for variable workloads where traffic spikes are common.
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
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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 Aurora Serverless v2 — Amazon Aurora Serverless v2 is correct because it automatically scales database capacity up or down based on application demand, providing a serverless architecture for variable workloads without the need to manage database instances. Amazon DynamoDB is correct because it is a fully managed NoSQL serverless database that automatically scales throughput and storage to handle variable workloads, requiring no server provisioning or management.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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