- A
Store the credentials in an S3 bucket with server-side encryption and read them in the Lambda function.
Why wrong: Requires managing access and lacks rotation.
- B
Use IAM database authentication for MySQL and assign an IAM role to the Lambda function.
Why wrong: IAM auth is not supported for MySQL RDS, only for Aurora MySQL.
- C
Hardcode the credentials as environment variables in the Lambda function configuration.
Why wrong: Environment variables are not encrypted by default and can be viewed.
- D
Store the credentials in AWS Secrets Manager and retrieve them in the Lambda function code.
Secrets Manager provides secure storage and automatic rotation.
Question 655 of 1,616
Best Way to Pass Database Credentials to Lambda Functions
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 building a serverless application using AWS Lambda to process events from Amazon S3. The Lambda function needs to persist data to an Amazon RDS MySQL database. Which of the following is the MOST secure way to pass database credentials to the Lambda function?
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
✓
Store the credentials in AWS Secrets Manager and retrieve them in the Lambda function code.
Option D is correct because AWS Secrets Manager provides a secure, auditable, and automated way to store and retrieve database credentials. The Lambda function can assume an IAM role with permissions to access the secret, and retrieve the credentials at runtime using the AWS SDK, avoiding hardcoding or insecure storage. This approach also supports automatic rotation of credentials, enhancing security.
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.
- ✗
Store the credentials in an S3 bucket with server-side encryption and read them in the Lambda function.
Why it's wrong here
Requires managing access and lacks rotation.
- ✗
Use IAM database authentication for MySQL and assign an IAM role to the Lambda function.
Why it's wrong here
IAM auth is not supported for MySQL RDS, only for Aurora MySQL.
- ✗
Hardcode the credentials as environment variables in the Lambda function configuration.
Why it's wrong here
Environment variables are not encrypted by default and can be viewed.
- ✓
Store the credentials in AWS Secrets Manager and retrieve them in the Lambda function code.
Why this is correct
Secrets Manager provides secure storage and automatic rotation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may believe IAM database authentication (Option B) is not supported for RDS MySQL, but it is actually supported for MySQL 5.7 and 8.0. However, the question asks for the 'MOST secure' method. While IAM database authentication is secure, AWS Secrets Manager provides additional benefits such as automatic credential rotation, fine-grained access control, and audit logging, making it the most secure and recommended approach for managing database credentials in a serverless application.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Secrets Manager integrates with AWS KMS to encrypt secrets at rest and in transit, and the Lambda function retrieves the secret via the GetSecretValue API call using the AWS SDK. The secret can be configured to rotate automatically using a Lambda rotation function, which updates the RDS MySQL password without manual intervention. Under the hood, the IAM role attached to the Lambda function must have a policy granting secretsmanager:GetSecretValue and kms:Decrypt (if using a customer managed KMS key), ensuring least privilege access.
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 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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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: Store the credentials in AWS Secrets Manager and retrieve them in the Lambda function code. — Option D is correct because AWS Secrets Manager provides a secure, auditable, and automated way to store and retrieve database credentials. The Lambda function can assume an IAM role with permissions to access the secret, and retrieve the credentials at runtime using the AWS SDK, avoiding hardcoding or insecure storage. This approach also supports automatic rotation of credentials, enhancing security.
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.
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
1 more ways this is tested on DVA-C02
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 developer is building a serverless application using AWS Lambda functions that need to access an Amazon RDS database. Which of the following are best practices for managing database credentials? (Choose TWO.)
medium- ✓ A.Use AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store to store encrypted credentials.
- ✓ B.Use AWS Secrets Manager to store and rotate credentials.
- C.Store the credentials as Lambda environment variables.
- D.Hardcode the credentials in the Lambda function code.
- E.Store the credentials in a file in the Lambda deployment package.
Why A: AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store is a best practice for managing database credentials because it provides secure, encrypted storage for configuration data and secrets. By using Parameter Store with AWS KMS encryption, developers can store credentials separately from code and retrieve them at runtime via the AWS SDK, ensuring that sensitive information is not exposed in the function code or deployment artifacts.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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