The answer is to create a read replica of the current database using the new version, promote it, and update the connection string. This strategy minimizes downtime because the replica is built and synchronized in the background while the primary remains fully operational, and the cutover is a near-instantaneous DNS or connection string change rather than a prolonged in-place upgrade. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of blue/green deployment patterns for RDS, where the key trap is choosing an in-place upgrade (which locks the database) or a snapshot restore (which takes too long). The exam expects you to recognize that read replicas can be created with a different major version, allowing you to validate the new version before promoting. Memory tip: think “Replica, Promote, Point” — build the replica, promote it to master, then point your application to it.
SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing solutions. 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 company runs a production database on Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL. They need to perform a major version upgrade with minimal downtime. Which strategy should they use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a read replica of the current database using the new version, promote it, and update the connection string.
Option D is correct because creating a read replica with the new version, promoting it, and switching DNS minimizes downtime. Option A is wrong because in-place upgrade causes downtime. Option B is wrong because snapshots take time. Option C is wrong because DMS has overhead and potential lag.
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.
✗
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to replicate data to a new instance.
Why it's wrong here
DMS can be used but requires careful cutover and may have lag.
✓
Create a read replica of the current database using the new version, promote it, and update the connection string.
Why this is correct
This approach reduces downtime to a brief cutover window.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create a new RDS instance with the new version and migrate data using pg_dump.
Why it's wrong here
pg_dump is slow and causes extended downtime.
✗
Take a snapshot of the database, perform an in-place upgrade, and restore if needed.
Why it's wrong here
In-place upgrade causes downtime during the upgrade process.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which SAP-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.
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — This question tests Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a read replica of the current database using the new version, promote it, and update the connection string. — Option D is correct because creating a read replica with the new version, promoting it, and switching DNS minimizes downtime. Option A is wrong because in-place upgrade causes downtime. Option B is wrong because snapshots take time. Option C is wrong because DMS has overhead and potential lag.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SAP-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
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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 using Amazon RDS for MySQL and wants to minimize downtime during a major version upgrade. Which approach is the MOST effective?
easy
A.Take a snapshot, restore as a new instance with the new version, and update the application endpoint.
✓ B.Create a read replica with the new version, promote it to primary, and update the application endpoint.
C.Launch a new RDS instance with the new version, use DMS to migrate data, and switch the application endpoint.
D.Use the AWS RDS modify-db-instance command with the --allow-major-version-upgrade option. This typically causes a few minutes of downtime but is the simplest.
Why B: Creating a read replica, upgrading it, and then promoting it to primary minimizes downtime because the promotion is a quick operation.
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This SAP-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 SAP-C02 exam.
Question Discussion
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