A team accidentally updates critical rows in an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL database. Automated backups are enabled. They need to recover the data to the exact state as of 90 minutes ago.
They also cannot risk interrupting the current production database instance while investigators validate the restored data.
Which recovery strategy best meets these constraints?
Answer choices
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
Use point-in-time recovery (PITR) to restore to a new RDS DB instance as of 90 minutes ago, then validate and cut over after approval.
PITR can restore a new DB instance to a specific timestamp using automated backups and transaction logs. Restoring to a separate instance avoids overwriting or interrupting the existing production instance during validation.
Restore a manual snapshot and overwrite the existing production DB instance so the data matches exactly 90 minutes ago.
Overwriting production interrupts service. In addition, manual snapshots may not provide the precision needed to match the exact 90-minute timestamp.
Wait for the next automated backup window and then restart the current DB instance to roll back changes automatically.
Automated backups support restore operations, not automatic rollback. Restarting the DB instance does not rewind logical changes caused by an update.
Use cross-region read replicas to rewind changes and promote the replica to become the writer immediately.
Read replicas replicate the current data stream; they do not provide a built-in mechanism to rewind to a historical point in time. Promoting a replica would not correct the data to the state from 90 minutes ago.
Common exam trap
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.
Technical deep dive
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.
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Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
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FAQ
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
The correct answer is: Use point-in-time recovery (PITR) to restore to a new RDS DB instance as of 90 minutes ago, then validate and cut over after approval. — The constraints require (1) an exact point in time (90 minutes ago) and (2) no interruption of the current production instance during validation. Point-in-time recovery (PITR) to a new RDS DB instance meets both: PITR uses automated backups and transaction log data to restore the database to a specified timestamp. Because the restore target is a separate instance, investigators can validate the restored data and the team can cut over only after approval, without overwriting production during investigation. Why others are wrong: Overwriting production violates the “cannot risk interrupting” constraint. Manual snapshots do not guarantee the ability to restore to the exact 90-minute timestamp granularity. Restarting does not roll back logical database changes. Read replicas only mirror replicated current state and cannot rewind to a historical logical point automatically; PITR is the appropriate mechanism for point-in-time reconstruction.
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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