- A
Create a single RDS instance with a separate database per microservice.
Why wrong: Separate databases provide logical isolation but do not enforce table-level access; grant privileges at database level, not table.
- B
Use RDS with IAM database authentication and create database users with limited privileges for each microservice.
IAM database authentication allows you to create database users with specific privileges (e.g., SELECT, INSERT on certain tables) and use IAM roles to authenticate, providing fine-grained access control.
- C
Use RDS in a VPC and restrict network access per microservice using security groups.
Why wrong: Security groups control network-level access only; they do not restrict which tables can be accessed within the database.
- D
Use Amazon RDS Proxy to control access.
Why wrong: RDS Proxy manages connections and can enforce some access control, but it is not designed for table-level permissions; it primarily handles connection pooling.
DVA-C02 Development with AWS Services Practice Question
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of development with aws services. 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 developer is migrating a monolithic application to a microservices architecture on AWS. The application uses a relational database. The developer wants to use Amazon RDS for the database and needs to ensure that each microservice can only access its own set of tables. Which approach should the developer take?
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
Use RDS with IAM database authentication and create database users with limited privileges for each microservice.
Option B is correct because IAM database authentication allows the developer to create database users with granular, table-level privileges using standard SQL GRANT statements, ensuring each microservice can only access its own set of tables. By combining IAM roles with database user credentials, the developer can enforce least-privilege access without sharing a single database user across services. This approach directly addresses the requirement for per-microservice table isolation while leveraging RDS's native authentication and authorization capabilities.
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.
- ✗
Create a single RDS instance with a separate database per microservice.
Why it's wrong here
Separate databases provide logical isolation but do not enforce table-level access; grant privileges at database level, not table.
- ✓
Use RDS with IAM database authentication and create database users with limited privileges for each microservice.
Why this is correct
IAM database authentication allows you to create database users with specific privileges (e.g., SELECT, INSERT on certain tables) and use IAM roles to authenticate, providing fine-grained access control.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use RDS in a VPC and restrict network access per microservice using security groups.
Why it's wrong here
Security groups control network-level access only; they do not restrict which tables can be accessed within the database.
- ✗
Use Amazon RDS Proxy to control access.
Why it's wrong here
RDS Proxy manages connections and can enforce some access control, but it is not designed for table-level permissions; it primarily handles connection pooling.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse network-level isolation (security groups) with database-level authorization, assuming that restricting network access per microservice is sufficient to enforce table-level separation, when in fact security groups cannot differentiate between tables within the same database instance.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, IAM database authentication works by using an authentication token (valid for 15 minutes) generated via the AWS CLI or SDK, which the RDS instance validates against the IAM role attached to the microservice. The database user must be created with the `IDENTIFIED WITH AWSAuthenticationPlugin` clause (for MySQL) or `LOGIN EXTERNAL` (for PostgreSQL), and then table-level privileges are granted via standard SQL commands like `GRANT SELECT, INSERT ON schema.table TO user;`. This ensures that even if a microservice's credentials are compromised, the attacker cannot access tables outside the granted scope without a valid IAM token and role.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DVA-C02 question test?
Development with AWS Services — This question tests Development with AWS Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use RDS with IAM database authentication and create database users with limited privileges for each microservice. — Option B is correct because IAM database authentication allows the developer to create database users with granular, table-level privileges using standard SQL GRANT statements, ensuring each microservice can only access its own set of tables. By combining IAM roles with database user credentials, the developer can enforce least-privilege access without sharing a single database user across services. This approach directly addresses the requirement for per-microservice table isolation while leveraging RDS's native authentication and authorization capabilities.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This DVA-C02 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 DVA-C02 exam.
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