SOA-C02 Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation Practice Question
A SysOps administrator wants to automate the creation of an Amazon RDS database instance using AWS CloudFormation. The database must be created in a specific VPC and must be Multi-AZ. Which CloudFormation resource property should the administrator configure to meet these requirements?
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
✓
DBSubnetGroupName and MultiAZ
The DBSubnetGroupName property specifies the VPC subnets for the RDS instance, ensuring it is created in the desired VPC. The MultiAZ property enables Multi-AZ deployment for high availability. Other options: DBInstanceIdentifier (D) is only a name, Engine (B) defines the database engine type, and DBInstanceClass (C) specifies the instance size; none affect VPC placement or Multi-AZ functionality.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
DBSubnetGroupName and MultiAZ
Why this is correct
DBSubnetGroupName specifies the VPC subnet group where the RDS instance will be provisioned, and MultiAZ (or Multi-AZ) enables a synchronous standby replica in a different Availability Zone. Together they are the required parameters for automating a Multi-AZ deployment across a defined network topology. Without a valid DBSubnetGroupName spanning at least two AZs, the MultiAZ setting cannot be properly fulfilled.
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Engine
Why it's wrong here
Engine is a required property that picks the database engine, such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQL Server, but it has no influence on whether the instance is deployed as Multi-AZ or into a specific subnet group. It purely determines the dialect and feature set of the database software itself. Therefore, while you need Engine to create any RDS instance, it is not one of the properties that controls VPC placement or high availability configuration.
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DBInstanceClass
Why it's wrong here
DBInstanceClass defines the compute and memory capacity (e.g., db.t3.medium, db.r5.large) for the database instance, impacting performance and cost. It does not determine the network location or the replication strategy for high availability. When automating a Multi-AZ RDS deployment, the instance class is a sizing decision independent of the MultiAZ and DBSubnetGroupName placement settings.
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DBInstanceIdentifier
Why it's wrong here
DBInstanceIdentifier is a user-supplied unique name for the RDS instance, used for management and DNS endpoint naming; it does not by itself influence any architectural placement or replication setting. You can name the instance anything you like regardless of Multi-AZ status or subnet group configuration. Because it is only an identifier, it would never be the property that enables Multi-AZ or VPC placement.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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