SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
A company uses Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL and needs to apply a minor version upgrade. They want to minimize downtime. Which approach should they use?
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
✓
Use a Multi-AZ deployment and apply the upgrade
To minimize downtime for a PostgreSQL minor version upgrade on Amazon RDS, the best approach is to use a Multi-AZ deployment and then apply the upgrade. With Multi-AZ, RDS upgrades the standby instance first, then performs a failover, resulting in very minimal downtime (typically under a minute). Option A (maintenance window) can cause longer downtime depending on the window. Option B (read replica) is more complex and can have a longer cutover time, and is not the most efficient for minor upgrades. Option D (modify parameter group) does not upgrade the engine version.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Apply the upgrade during the maintenance window
Why it's wrong here
Applying the upgrade during the maintenance window still causes downtime, often longer than the Multi-AZ approach, because the instance is unavailable during the upgrade process.
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Create a read replica, upgrade it, and promote it
Why it's wrong here
Creating a read replica, upgrading it, and promoting it is a valid manual method but typically involves more steps and longer downtime compared to the automated Multi-AZ upgrade, and may risk data loss if not handled carefully.
- ✓
Use a Multi-AZ deployment and apply the upgrade
Why this is correct
Using a Multi-AZ deployment and applying the upgrade takes advantage of the built-in failover mechanism: the standby is upgraded first, then a failover occurs, minimizing downtime to just the time needed for the failover (typically less than a minute).
- ✗
Modify the DB parameter group to set the version
Why it's wrong here
Modifying the DB parameter group only changes database parameters, not the engine version. The minor version upgrade must be initiated separately.
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