- A
Check the 'max_connections' parameter in the DB parameter group and increase it if needed.
High connection counts may hit the max_connections limit; increasing it can temporarily alleviate the issue.
- B
Add a read replica to offload read traffic.
Why wrong: Read replicas do not reduce the number of connections to the primary instance.
- C
Scale up the DB instance class to handle more connections.
Why wrong: Instance class affects compute power, not the max_connections limit; connections are limited by parameter group.
- D
Enable the 'general_log' and 'log_output' parameters to capture connection attempts.
Logging connections helps identify the source or pattern of the connection spike.
- E
Enable Performance Insights and review the top SQL queries and sessions.
Performance Insights provides visibility into active sessions and queries consuming resources.
Quick Answer
The correct answer involves enabling Performance Insights, increasing max_connections as a temporary measure, and enabling connection logging to diagnose the RDS MySQL connection spike. Performance Insights is the key tool here because it provides a real-time database load visualization, allowing you to identify which specific queries and sessions are consuming connections even when CPU utilization remains low—a classic sign that the bottleneck is connection exhaustion rather than compute capacity. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between resource-based and configuration-based issues; a common trap is assuming a CPU spike must accompany a connection spike, or that scaling instance size will fix connection limits. Remember the mnemonic “PCL” for Performance Insights, Connection logging, and Limits (max_connections) to quickly recall the three diagnostic actions for a connection spike without high CPU.
DOP-C02 Incident and Event Response Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of incident and event response. 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 uses Amazon RDS for MySQL with Multi-AZ deployment. The database experiences a sudden spike in connections, causing the application to timeout. The DevOps engineer notices that the 'DatabaseConnections' metric is high, but the 'CPUUtilization' is low. Which THREE actions should the engineer take to diagnose the issue?
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
Check the 'max_connections' parameter in the DB parameter group and increase it if needed.
Option B is correct because Performance Insights can show which queries are consuming connections. Option D is correct because increased max_connections can help if legitimate, but it's a temporary fix. Option E is correct because enabling connection logging can identify the source of connections. Option A is wrong because increasing instance class addresses CPU, not connection limits. Option C is wrong because read replicas do not reduce write connection load.
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.
- ✓
Check the 'max_connections' parameter in the DB parameter group and increase it if needed.
Why this is correct
High connection counts may hit the max_connections limit; increasing it can temporarily alleviate the issue.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Add a read replica to offload read traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Read replicas do not reduce the number of connections to the primary instance.
- ✗
Scale up the DB instance class to handle more connections.
Why it's wrong here
Instance class affects compute power, not the max_connections limit; connections are limited by parameter group.
- ✓
Enable the 'general_log' and 'log_output' parameters to capture connection attempts.
Why this is correct
Logging connections helps identify the source or pattern of the connection spike.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Enable Performance Insights and review the top SQL queries and sessions.
Why this is correct
Performance Insights provides visibility into active sessions and queries consuming resources.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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
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.
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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Incident and Event Response — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
Incident and Event Response — This question tests Incident and Event Response — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Check the 'max_connections' parameter in the DB parameter group and increase it if needed. — Option B is correct because Performance Insights can show which queries are consuming connections. Option D is correct because increased max_connections can help if legitimate, but it's a temporary fix. Option E is correct because enabling connection logging can identify the source of connections. Option A is wrong because increasing instance class addresses CPU, not connection limits. Option C is wrong because read replicas do not reduce write connection load.
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
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 runs a production database on Amazon RDS for MySQL. The database experiences a sudden spike in connections, causing the application to time out. The DevOps team needs to diagnose the issue quickly. Which combination of actions should be taken? (Choose two.)
medium- ✓ A.Check CloudWatch metrics for DatabaseConnections and CPUUtilization.
- B.Immediately scale up the RDS instance to handle the load.
- C.Analyze VPC Flow Logs to identify the source IPs of connections.
- D.Use the RDS console to view the number of active connections per user.
- ✓ E.Enable Performance Insights and review the top SQL statements.
Why A: Option A is correct because CloudWatch RDS metrics provide real-time connection count. Option D is correct because Performance Insights helps identify SQL queries causing the spike. Option B is wrong because increasing instance size is a mitigation, not diagnosis. Option C is wrong because the RDS console does not show individual connections. Option E is wrong because VPC Flow Logs show network traffic, not database connections.
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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