- A
Enable RDS Performance Insights and analyze the top SQL queries
Performance Insights identifies the top queries by CPU usage.
- B
Enable RDS Enhanced Monitoring and view metrics in CloudWatch
Why wrong: Enhanced Monitoring provides OS metrics, not specific queries.
- C
Enable AWS X-Ray tracing on the application and database
Why wrong: X-Ray traces requests but does not capture database queries.
- D
Enable RDS audit logs and stream them to Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Why wrong: Audit logs show connections and queries but are not optimized for performance analysis.
DOP-C02 Monitoring and Logging Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring and logging. 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 engineer notices that an Amazon RDS for MySQL instance's CPU is consistently high during business hours. The engineer wants to identify the specific queries causing the high CPU. Which combination of services should be used to capture and analyze the queries? (Choose the best answer.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Enable RDS Performance Insights and analyze the top SQL queries
Option A is correct because RDS Performance Insights provides a database performance tuning feature that visualizes database load and identifies the specific SQL queries causing high CPU. It captures query-level metrics such as wait events, SQL digest, and host/user information, allowing the DevOps engineer to pinpoint the exact queries responsible for the CPU spike during business hours.
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 RDS Performance Insights and analyze the top SQL queries
Why this is correct
Performance Insights identifies the top queries by CPU usage.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable RDS Enhanced Monitoring and view metrics in CloudWatch
Why it's wrong here
Enhanced Monitoring provides OS metrics, not specific queries.
- ✗
Enable AWS X-Ray tracing on the application and database
Why it's wrong here
X-Ray traces requests but does not capture database queries.
- ✗
Enable RDS audit logs and stream them to Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Why it's wrong here
Audit logs show connections and queries but are not optimized for performance analysis.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Enhanced Monitoring (OS-level metrics) with Performance Insights (query-level analysis), or assume audit logs or X-Ray can provide SQL-level performance data, when in fact they serve different purposes (compliance and tracing, respectively).
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Audit logs show connections and queries but are not optimized for performance analysis.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
RDS Performance Insights uses a performance schema or enhanced monitoring agent to collect database load data, breaking it down by SQL query, wait event, and host. It exposes a 'Top SQL' dimension that shows the average active sessions (AAS) contributed by each query, directly correlating CPU load to specific SQL statements. In a real-world scenario, a DevOps engineer could see that a single SELECT query with a missing index is consuming 80% of the database CPU during peak hours, enabling targeted optimization.
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.
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
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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Monitoring and Logging — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
Monitoring and Logging — This question tests Monitoring and Logging — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable RDS Performance Insights and analyze the top SQL queries — Option A is correct because RDS Performance Insights provides a database performance tuning feature that visualizes database load and identifies the specific SQL queries causing high CPU. It captures query-level metrics such as wait events, SQL digest, and host/user information, allowing the DevOps engineer to pinpoint the exact queries responsible for the CPU spike during business hours.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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