- A
Take manual snapshots of the RDS instance every 30 seconds and copy them to the secondary Region
Why wrong: Snapshots cannot be taken that frequently.
- B
Enable Multi-AZ in the primary Region
Why wrong: Does not protect against Region failure.
- C
Create a cross-Region read replica of the RDS instance in the secondary Region
Provides low-lag replication and fast promotion.
- D
Create an AWS Lambda function to promote the read replica to primary in the secondary Region during a disaster
Automates the promotion to achieve low RTO.
- E
Enable automated backups with cross-Region copy enabled to the secondary Region
Why wrong: Automated backups with cross-Region copy are taken periodically (e.g., daily), not continuously. This does not meet the RPO of less than 1 minute. Therefore, this step is not correct.
Disaster Recovery for RDS Using Cross-Region Read Replicas and Lambda Automation
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 is designing a disaster recovery plan for a critical application that uses Amazon RDS for MySQL with Multi-AZ. The RPO must be less than 1 minute and RTO less than 15 minutes. The primary Region is us-east-1. Which THREE steps should the company take to meet these requirements?
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 cross-Region read replica of the RDS instance in the secondary Region
C and D are correct. A cross-Region read replica of the RDS instance in the secondary Region provides near-real-time replication, achieving an RPO of less than 1 minute. When a disaster occurs, the read replica can be promoted to a primary instance quickly, meeting the RTO of less than 15 minutes. An AWS Lambda function can automate the promotion process, reducing manual intervention and further improving RTO. Option E is incorrect because automated backups with cross-Region copy are taken periodically (e.g., daily), not continuously, so they cannot achieve an RPO of less than 1 minute.
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.
- ✗
Take manual snapshots of the RDS instance every 30 seconds and copy them to the secondary Region
Why it's wrong here
Snapshots cannot be taken that frequently.
- ✗
Enable Multi-AZ in the primary Region
Why it's wrong here
Does not protect against Region failure.
- ✓
Create a cross-Region read replica of the RDS instance in the secondary Region
Why this is correct
Provides low-lag replication and fast promotion.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Create an AWS Lambda function to promote the read replica to primary in the secondary Region during a disaster
Why this is correct
Automates the promotion to achieve low RTO.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable automated backups with cross-Region copy enabled to the secondary Region
Why it's wrong here
Automated backups with cross-Region copy are taken periodically (e.g., daily), not continuously. This does not meet the RPO of less than 1 minute. Therefore, this step is not correct.
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.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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.
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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 — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a cross-Region read replica of the RDS instance in the secondary Region — C and D are correct. A cross-Region read replica of the RDS instance in the secondary Region provides near-real-time replication, achieving an RPO of less than 1 minute. When a disaster occurs, the read replica can be promoted to a primary instance quickly, meeting the RTO of less than 15 minutes. An AWS Lambda function can automate the promotion process, reducing manual intervention and further improving RTO. Option E is incorrect because automated backups with cross-Region copy are taken periodically (e.g., daily), not continuously, so they cannot achieve an RPO of less than 1 minute.
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". 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.
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 is designing a disaster recovery strategy for a critical application that requires a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of 15 minutes and a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 1 hour. The application runs on EC2 with data stored in Amazon RDS Multi-AZ. Which approach meets these requirements?
medium- ✓ A.Use a pilot light strategy with RDS cross-Region read replicas and automated backups
- B.Use backup and restore with daily snapshots to another Region
- C.Use a warm standby with a scaled-down production environment in another Region
- D.Use a Multi-AZ deployment in the same Region for DR
Why A: Option A is correct because a pilot light strategy with RDS cross-Region read replicas and automated backups meets the RTO of 15 minutes and RPO of 1 hour. The cross-Region read replica provides near-synchronous replication with an RPO typically under 5 seconds, and automated backups enable point-in-time recovery within the 1-hour RPO. The pilot light approach allows rapid promotion of the replica to a primary instance, achieving the 15-minute RTO by keeping minimal core services running in the DR Region.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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