- A
Enable Performance Insights on the RDS instance and use the Performance Insights dashboard to view slow queries.
Why wrong: Performance Insights provides a performance schema, not slow query logs in CloudWatch.
- B
Enable Enhanced Monitoring on the RDS instance and configure CloudWatch alarms based on the metrics.
Why wrong: Enhanced Monitoring provides OS-level metrics like CPU and memory, not slow query logs.
- C
Modify the DB parameter group to enable slow_query_log and set log_output to FILE, then configure the RDS instance to publish the slowquery log file to CloudWatch Logs.
RDS can natively publish slow query logs to CloudWatch Logs via the 'slowquery' log export.
- D
Configure the RDS instance to export slow query logs to an S3 bucket, then set up a Lambda function to read the logs and send them to CloudWatch Logs.
Why wrong: This adds unnecessary complexity; RDS can directly publish logs to CloudWatch.
Quick Answer
The answer is to modify the DB parameter group to enable slow_query_log and set log_output to FILE, then configure the RDS instance to publish the slowquery log file to CloudWatch Logs. This is correct because RDS for MySQL natively supports streaming slow query logs directly to CloudWatch Logs when the log_output parameter is set to FILE, which writes the logs to the database host’s file system, and the RDS console or CLI can then automatically publish that file to a CloudWatch log group without any additional infrastructure. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between native RDS log export features and more complex workarounds; a common trap is confusing Enhanced Monitoring (which provides OS metrics) or Performance Insights (which offers a performance schema dashboard) with actual log streaming. Remember the key pairing: slow_query_log=1 and log_output=FILE, then enable the export—think “FILE to CloudWatch, no extra stack.”
DOP-C02 Monitoring and Logging Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring and logging. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 and needs to monitor slow queries to optimize database performance. The team has enabled slow query logs and wants to centralize logging in Amazon CloudWatch Logs for real-time analysis and alerting. Which solution meets these requirements with minimal operational overhead?
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
Modify the DB parameter group to enable slow_query_log and set log_output to FILE, then configure the RDS instance to publish the slowquery log file to CloudWatch Logs.
Option B is correct because publishing RDS MySQL slow query logs to CloudWatch Logs can be achieved natively by configuring the DB parameter group to set 'slow_query_log' to 1 and 'log_output' to 'FILE', then enabling the 'slowquery' log export in the RDS console or CLI. This automatically streams logs to CloudWatch without additional infrastructure. Option A is wrong because Enhanced Monitoring provides OS-level metrics, not slow query logs. Option C is wrong because exporting logs to S3 and then using Lambda to push to CloudWatch adds unnecessary complexity. Option D is wrong because enabling Performance Insights does not automatically send slow query logs to CloudWatch; it provides a different performance schema.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Enable Performance Insights on the RDS instance and use the Performance Insights dashboard to view slow queries.
Why it's wrong here
Performance Insights provides a performance schema, not slow query logs in CloudWatch.
- ✗
Enable Enhanced Monitoring on the RDS instance and configure CloudWatch alarms based on the metrics.
Why it's wrong here
Enhanced Monitoring provides OS-level metrics like CPU and memory, not slow query logs.
- ✓
Modify the DB parameter group to enable slow_query_log and set log_output to FILE, then configure the RDS instance to publish the slowquery log file to CloudWatch Logs.
Why this is correct
RDS can natively publish slow query logs to CloudWatch Logs via the 'slowquery' log export.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- ✗
Configure the RDS instance to export slow query logs to an S3 bucket, then set up a Lambda function to read the logs and send them to CloudWatch Logs.
Why it's wrong here
This adds unnecessary complexity; RDS can directly publish logs to CloudWatch.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DOP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
Monitoring and Logging — This question tests Monitoring and Logging — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Modify the DB parameter group to enable slow_query_log and set log_output to FILE, then configure the RDS instance to publish the slowquery log file to CloudWatch Logs. — Option B is correct because publishing RDS MySQL slow query logs to CloudWatch Logs can be achieved natively by configuring the DB parameter group to set 'slow_query_log' to 1 and 'log_output' to 'FILE', then enabling the 'slowquery' log export in the RDS console or CLI. This automatically streams logs to CloudWatch without additional infrastructure. Option A is wrong because Enhanced Monitoring provides OS-level metrics, not slow query logs. Option C is wrong because exporting logs to S3 and then using Lambda to push to CloudWatch adds unnecessary complexity. Option D is wrong because enabling Performance Insights does not automatically send slow query logs to CloudWatch; it provides a different performance schema.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DOP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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 DOP-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 company uses Amazon RDS for MySQL and wants to monitor slow queries to optimize performance. Which actions should the DevOps engineer take to capture and analyze slow query logs? (Choose THREE.)
hard- A.Use AWS CloudTrail to capture SQL queries
- ✓ B.Enable the slow query log parameter in the RDS DB parameter group
- C.Enable RDS Performance Insights
- ✓ D.Configure RDS to publish logs to Amazon CloudWatch Logs
- ✓ E.Use CloudWatch Logs Insights to query and analyze the slow query logs
Why B: Option A (enable slow query log) is necessary. Option B (publish to CloudWatch Logs) allows centralized access. Option D (use CloudWatch Logs Insights) enables analysis. Option C (RDS Performance Insights) is for performance but not slow queries specifically. Option E (CloudTrail) is not relevant.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This DOP-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 DOP-C02 exam.
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