The answer is enabling cross-Region automated backups with a retention period of 1 day, because this solution meets the sub-5-minute RPO requirement for RDS cross-region disaster recovery while being the most cost-effective. Cross-Region automated backups continuously stream transaction logs to the destination Region, allowing point-in-time recovery with minimal data loss, unlike manual snapshot copies which take hours for a 2 TB database. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to balance RPO, RTO, and cost for RDS disaster recovery—a common trap is choosing a cross-Region read replica, which has low replication lag but incurs ongoing compute and storage costs, whereas automated backups only charge for storage and data transfer. Remember the memory tip: “Backups for budget, replicas for speed”—if the RPO is tight but not sub-second, automated backups are the leaner choice.
DOP-C02 Resilient Cloud Solutions Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of resilient cloud solutions. 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 DevOps team is designing a disaster recovery plan for a production RDS for PostgreSQL database. The RPO must be less than 5 minutes and the RTO less than 1 hour. The database size is 2 TB. Which solution is MOST cost-effective?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable cross-Region automated backups with a retention period of 1 day
Option C is correct because RDS cross-Region automated replication provides low RPO without manual intervention. Option A is wrong because copying snapshots takes longer than RPO requirement. Option B is wrong because read replicas have a small replication lag but can be promoted quickly. Option D is wrong because DMS requires extra infrastructure and cost.
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.
✓
Enable cross-Region automated backups with a retention period of 1 day
Why this is correct
Automated backups are replicated to another Region with typical lag of seconds.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Take manual snapshots every 5 minutes and copy them to another Region
Why it's wrong here
Snapshots take time and cannot be taken every 5 minutes.
✗
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) for continuous replication to another Region
Why it's wrong here
DMS incurs additional costs and complexity compared to native RDS replication.
✗
Create a cross-Region read replica and promote it during disaster
Why it's wrong here
Replication lag may exceed 5 minutes, and promotion can be fast but not guaranteed under 1 hour.
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
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which DOP-C02 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.
Resilient Cloud Solutions — This question tests Resilient Cloud Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable cross-Region automated backups with a retention period of 1 day — Option C is correct because RDS cross-Region automated replication provides low RPO without manual intervention. Option A is wrong because copying snapshots takes longer than RPO requirement. Option B is wrong because read replicas have a small replication lag but can be promoted quickly. Option D is wrong because DMS requires extra infrastructure and cost.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which DOP-C02 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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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 DevOps team is designing a disaster recovery plan for an RDS MySQL database. The database must be recoverable with minimal data loss in case of a regional failure. Which solution provides the LOWEST Recovery Point Objective (RPO)?
easy
✓ A.Configure a Cross-Region Read Replica.
B.Take daily automated snapshots and copy them to another Region.
C.Use a Multi-AZ deployment with synchronous standby.
D.Use RDS Proxy to cache database writes.
Why A: Cross-Region Read Replicas provide asynchronous replication with a typical RPO of seconds, offering minimal data loss.
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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.
Question Discussion
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