The answer is to create an RDS read replica and direct the reporting queries to the replica endpoint. This is correct because a read replica operates asynchronously from the primary database, meaning it offloads read-heavy traffic without blocking or delaying any write operations on the primary instance. Since the replica handles the reporting workload, the primary’s write latency remains completely unaffected, even under heavy read demand. On the SAA-C03 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of scaling read performance while preserving write performance—a common trap is to suggest increasing the primary instance size, which would improve reads but also increase write latency due to resource contention. The key distinction is that read replicas decouple read and write paths entirely. For a quick memory tip: think “read replica, zero write delay”—the replica takes the read load, so the primary’s writes never wait.
SAA-C03 Practice Question: RDS read replicas use asynchronous replication.
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design high-performing architectures. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. A key principle to apply: rDS read replicas use asynchronous replication.. 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.
Exhibit
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL metrics during the end-of-day report window:
- CPUUtilization: 24%
- ReadLatency: 118 ms
- WriteLatency: 7 ms
- DiskQueueDepth: 0.4
- FreeStorageSpace: stable
Application notes:
- Report queries are read-only and run for 20 to 30 minutes
- The operational API continues to perform writes during the report window
- Business accepts slightly stale report data if write performance stays unchanged
Based on the exhibit, what is the best change to improve read performance without increasing write latency on the primary database?
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.
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.
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL metrics during the end-of-day report window:
- CPUUtilization: 24%
- ReadLatency: 118 ms
- WriteLatency: 7 ms
- DiskQueueDepth: 0.4
- FreeStorageSpace: stable
Application notes:
- Report queries are read-only and run for 20 to 30 minutes
- The operational API continues to perform writes during the report window
- Business accepts slightly stale report data if write performance stays unchanged
A
Create an RDS read replica and direct the reporting queries to the replica endpoint.
A read replica offloads the long-running read-only reports from the primary database, which preserves write performance and reduces read latency for the reporting workload. Because the business accepts slightly stale report data, the asynchronous replication delay is acceptable. This is the most direct and AWS-native way to separate read pressure from writes.
B
Convert the DB instance to Multi-AZ so the primary can serve more reads.
Why wrong: Multi-AZ improves availability and failover behavior, but it does not add read scaling capacity for reporting traffic.
C
Increase the primary instance class to a larger size and keep all traffic on one writer.
Why wrong: A larger instance might help temporarily, but it keeps read and write workloads competing on the same primary database.
D
Migrate the reporting workload to DynamoDB to gain faster reads.
Why wrong: That would require a data model redesign and service migration, which is unnecessary for the stated problem and not the simplest performance fix.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create an RDS read replica and direct the reporting queries to the replica endpoint.
Creating an RDS read replica offloads read-heavy reporting queries from the primary database instance, improving read performance without adding any write latency to the primary. The replica operates asynchronously, so writes on the primary are not blocked or delayed by the replica's lag. This is the standard AWS solution for scaling read traffic on RDS.
Key principle: RDS read replicas use asynchronous replication.
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 an RDS read replica and direct the reporting queries to the replica endpoint.
Why this is correct
A read replica offloads the long-running read-only reports from the primary database, which preserves write performance and reduces read latency for the reporting workload. Because the business accepts slightly stale report data, the asynchronous replication delay is acceptable. This is the most direct and AWS-native way to separate read pressure from writes.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
RDS read replicas use asynchronous replication.
✗
Convert the DB instance to Multi-AZ so the primary can serve more reads.
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ improves availability and failover behavior, but it does not add read scaling capacity for reporting traffic.
✗
Increase the primary instance class to a larger size and keep all traffic on one writer.
Why it's wrong here
A larger instance might help temporarily, but it keeps read and write workloads competing on the same primary database.
✗
Migrate the reporting workload to DynamoDB to gain faster reads.
Why it's wrong here
That would require a data model redesign and service migration, which is unnecessary for the stated problem and not the simplest performance fix.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse Multi-AZ with read scaling, assuming the standby instance can serve reads, when in fact Multi-AZ only provides failover redundancy and the standby is not accessible for read operations.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
RDS read replicas use MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, or Oracle's native asynchronous replication engine to maintain a consistent copy of the primary database. The replica can be promoted to a standalone instance if needed, and it supports engine-level read scaling for reporting, analytics, or disaster recovery. In a real-world scenario, a reporting dashboard that runs complex aggregations every 5 minutes can be pointed to a read replica to avoid locking or slowing down the primary's transactional writes.
KKey Concepts to Remember
RDS read replicas use asynchronous replication.
Read replicas offload read-heavy workloads from the primary database.
They improve read performance without impacting primary database write latency.
Read replicas are ideal for analytical or reporting queries where eventual consistency is acceptable.
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
RDS read replicas use asynchronous replication.
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. RDS read replicas use asynchronous replication. 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.
Review rDS read replicas use asynchronous replication., then practise related SAA-C03 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Design High-Performing Architectures — This question tests Design High-Performing Architectures — RDS read replicas use asynchronous replication..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an RDS read replica and direct the reporting queries to the replica endpoint. — Creating an RDS read replica offloads read-heavy reporting queries from the primary database instance, improving read performance without adding any write latency to the primary. The replica operates asynchronously, so writes on the primary are not blocked or delayed by the replica's lag. This is the standard AWS solution for scaling read traffic on RDS.
What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 question wrong?
Review rDS read replicas use asynchronous replication., then practise related SAA-C03 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best", "primary". 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?
RDS read replicas use asynchronous replication.
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Variation 1. Based on the exhibit, what is the best change to improve read performance without increasing write latency on the primary database?
hard
✓ A.Create an RDS read replica and direct the reporting queries to the replica endpoint.
B.Convert the DB instance to Multi-AZ so the primary can serve more reads.
C.Increase the primary instance class to a larger size and keep all traffic on one writer.
D.Migrate the reporting workload to DynamoDB to gain faster reads.
Why A: Creating an RDS read replica offloads read-heavy reporting queries from the primary database instance, improving read performance without increasing write latency on the primary. The replica operates asynchronously, so writes on the primary are not blocked or delayed by the reporting workload.
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Question Discussion
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