- A
Store the database connection in a global variable to reuse across invocations
Why wrong: Lambda instances are recycled; global variables are not shared across invocations.
- B
Assign a static IP address to the Lambda function
Why wrong: Static IP does not affect connection exhaustion.
- C
Use Amazon RDS Proxy to pool connections
RDS Proxy manages connection pooling for Lambda.
- D
Open the database connection only when needed and close it after each invocation
Minimizes open connections.
- E
Increase the maximum number of database connections in the RDS parameter group
Allows more concurrent connections.
Question 1,110 of 1,746
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. 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. 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 is designing a new serverless application using AWS Lambda. The function needs to access an Amazon RDS database. Which THREE practices should be followed to avoid connection exhaustion?
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 Amazon RDS Proxy to pool connections
Amazon RDS Proxy sits between Lambda and the database, managing a pool of established connections. It reduces the overhead of opening and closing connections per invocation and prevents Lambda from exhausting database connections during concurrent executions. This is the recommended pattern for serverless applications with relational databases.
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.
- ✗
Store the database connection in a global variable to reuse across invocations
Why it's wrong here
Lambda instances are recycled; global variables are not shared across invocations.
- ✗
Assign a static IP address to the Lambda function
Why it's wrong here
Static IP does not affect connection exhaustion.
- ✓
Use Amazon RDS Proxy to pool connections
Why this is correct
RDS Proxy manages connection pooling for Lambda.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Open the database connection only when needed and close it after each invocation
Why this is correct
Minimizes open connections.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Increase the maximum number of database connections in the RDS parameter group
Why this is correct
Allows more concurrent connections.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume storing a connection in a global variable is sufficient to reuse it across invocations, but they overlook that concurrent invocations run in separate execution environments, each with its own global scope, leading to multiple connections and potential exhaustion.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Lambda execution environments are reused for subsequent invocations, but each concurrent invocation may run in a separate environment, each with its own global variable. Without a connection pooler like RDS Proxy, each environment opens its own connection, and the database's max_connections limit can be quickly exceeded under load. RDS Proxy uses a connection multiplexing technique that reuses a small number of database connections across many Lambda invocations, reducing the total connections needed.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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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Design for New Solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Amazon RDS Proxy to pool connections — Amazon RDS Proxy sits between Lambda and the database, managing a pool of established connections. It reduces the overhead of opening and closing connections per invocation and prevents Lambda from exhausting database connections during concurrent executions. This is the recommended pattern for serverless applications with relational databases.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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