The correct answer is to use a custom automation to monitor the primary and promote the replica. This is necessary because RDS cross-region read replicas do not support automated failover natively; while you can manually promote a read replica to a standalone master, the failover process itself requires external scripting or services like AWS Lambda or Route 53 health checks to detect primary region failure and trigger the promotion. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of RDS disaster recovery limitations—specifically that cross-region Multi-AZ is not supported, and a single read replica cannot promote itself automatically. A common trap is assuming Multi-AZ failover works across regions, but Multi-AZ is region-bound. Memory tip: “Cross-region needs custom promotion—no auto, no Multi-AZ.”
DOP-C02 Resilient Cloud Solutions Practice Question
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. 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 has a multi-region application with an RDS for MySQL database in us-east-1. They want to minimize downtime if the primary region fails. They set up a cross-region read replica in us-west-2. What additional step is needed for automated failover?
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.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use a custom automation to monitor the primary and promote the replica
Read replicas can be promoted to master, but automated failover requires additional scripting or services. Option A is wrong because RDS does not support cross-region Multi-AZ. Option B is wrong because a single read replica cannot be promoted automatically without custom automation. Option C is wrong because read replicas can be promoted. Option D is correct: you need to implement custom monitoring to promote the replica.
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 second read replica in the secondary region
Why it's wrong here
More replicas don't automate failover.
✓
Use a custom automation to monitor the primary and promote the replica
Why this is correct
Automated failover requires custom logic or use of Route 53 health checks with Lambda.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "primary", "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure automatic backup retention on the replica
Why it's wrong here
Backups don't automate failover.
✗
Enable Multi-AZ on the read replica
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ is for single-region high availability.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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: Use a custom automation to monitor the primary and promote the replica — Read replicas can be promoted to master, but automated failover requires additional scripting or services. Option A is wrong because RDS does not support cross-region Multi-AZ. Option B is wrong because a single read replica cannot be promoted automatically without custom automation. Option C is wrong because read replicas can be promoted. Option D is correct: you need to implement custom monitoring to promote the replica.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary", "minimum / minimize". 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?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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