- A
Enable automated backups with point-in-time recovery.
Why wrong: Automated backups support point-in-time recovery but do not provide automatic failover or minimize downtime; restoring takes time.
- B
Create a read replica in the same region.
A read replica in the same region can be promoted to a primary instance for faster failover than restoring from backup, minimizing downtime.
- C
Enable deletion protection on the DB instance.
Why wrong: Deletion protection prevents accidental deletion, not failure recovery.
- D
Enable Multi-AZ deployment.
Multi-AZ deployment provides automatic failover to a standby instance, ensuring minimal downtime on failure.
- E
Configure cross-region replication.
Why wrong: Cross-region replication is for disaster recovery across regions, not for immediate failover in the same region.
RDS High Availability Configuration
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of resilient cloud solutions. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: multi-AZ deployment. 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 runs a mission-critical database on Amazon RDS for MySQL. They need to ensure that if the primary DB instance fails, the database remains available with minimal downtime. Which TWO configurations should they implement? (Choose TWO.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
Create a read replica in the same region.
For minimal downtime during a primary DB instance failure, Multi-AZ deployment (D) provides automatic failover to a standby in a different Availability Zone. A read replica in the same region (B) can be manually promoted to a primary instance, offering a faster failover option than restoring from backups. Automated backups (A) enable point-in-time recovery but do not reduce downtime due to restore time. Deletion protection (C) prevents accidental deletion, and cross-region replication (E) is for disaster recovery, not immediate failover.
Key principle: Multi-AZ deployment
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 automated backups with point-in-time recovery.
Why it's wrong here
Automated backups support point-in-time recovery but do not provide automatic failover or minimize downtime; restoring takes time.
- ✓
Create a read replica in the same region.
Why this is correct
A read replica in the same region can be promoted to a primary instance for faster failover than restoring from backup, minimizing downtime.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Multi-AZ deployment
- ✗
Enable deletion protection on the DB instance.
Why it's wrong here
Deletion protection prevents accidental deletion, not failure recovery.
- ✓
Enable Multi-AZ deployment.
Why this is correct
Multi-AZ deployment provides automatic failover to a standby instance, ensuring minimal downtime on failure.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Multi-AZ deployment
- ✗
Configure cross-region replication.
Why it's wrong here
Cross-region replication is for disaster recovery across regions, not for immediate failover in the same region.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Candidates often assume automated backups provide high availability, but they only enable data recovery, not failover. Read replicas can be promoted for failover, but require manual intervention.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Multi-AZ deployment
- Read replica
- Failover
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
Multi-AZ deployment
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review multi-AZ deployment, then practise related DOP-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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Resilient Cloud Solutions — study guide chapter
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Resilient Cloud Solutions practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
Resilient Cloud Solutions — This question tests Resilient Cloud Solutions — Multi-AZ deployment.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a read replica in the same region. — For minimal downtime during a primary DB instance failure, Multi-AZ deployment (D) provides automatic failover to a standby in a different Availability Zone. A read replica in the same region (B) can be manually promoted to a primary instance, offering a faster failover option than restoring from backups. Automated backups (A) enable point-in-time recovery but do not reduce downtime due to restore time. Deletion protection (C) prevents accidental deletion, and cross-region replication (E) is for disaster recovery, not immediate failover.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Review multi-AZ deployment, then practise related DOP-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Multi-AZ deployment
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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