- A
Modify the RDS instance to increase the allocated storage size
Modifying storage size typically requires minimal downtime and resolves the issue.
- B
Enable storage auto-scaling
Why wrong: Auto-scaling prevents future issues but does not address current full storage.
- C
Delete old data to free up space
Why wrong: Deleting data may not be sufficient and is not a long-term solution.
- D
Convert the storage type to Provisioned IOPS
Why wrong: Changing storage type does not increase capacity.
Question 521 of 1,546
How to Increase RDS Storage Without Significant Downtime
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of reliability and business continuity. 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 SysOps administrator notices that an RDS instance's storage is nearly full. The instance uses General Purpose SSD (gp2) storage. The administrator needs to increase storage with minimal downtime. Which action should be taken?
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
✓
Modify the RDS instance to increase the allocated storage size
Modifying the RDS instance to increase the allocated storage size is the correct action because RDS for MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and SQL Server supports dynamic storage scaling with minimal downtime. When you modify the allocated storage for a gp2 volume, RDS performs the modification in the background, and the instance remains available during the process, though you may experience a brief performance impact. This directly addresses the near-full storage condition without requiring a full outage.
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.
- ✓
Modify the RDS instance to increase the allocated storage size
Why this is correct
Modifying storage size typically requires minimal downtime and resolves the issue.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable storage auto-scaling
Why it's wrong here
Auto-scaling prevents future issues but does not address current full storage.
- ✗
Delete old data to free up space
Why it's wrong here
Deleting data may not be sufficient and is not a long-term solution.
- ✗
Convert the storage type to Provisioned IOPS
Why it's wrong here
Changing storage type does not increase capacity.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse storage auto-scaling (which is a preventive measure) with the immediate need to increase storage, or they mistakenly believe that deleting data will instantly free up space on an RDS instance, ignoring the filesystem and volume-level allocation behavior.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When you modify the allocated storage for an RDS instance using gp2, Amazon RDS performs a live volume modification that can take from a few minutes to several hours depending on the size of the modification and the current workload. During this time, the instance remains available, but you may see a brief period of reduced I/O performance as the EBS volume transitions to the new size. The modification is done without requiring a reboot for most database engines, making it the preferred method for urgent capacity increases.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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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Reliability and Business Continuity — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
Reliability and Business Continuity — This question tests Reliability and Business Continuity — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Modify the RDS instance to increase the allocated storage size — Modifying the RDS instance to increase the allocated storage size is the correct action because RDS for MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and SQL Server supports dynamic storage scaling with minimal downtime. When you modify the allocated storage for a gp2 volume, RDS performs the modification in the background, and the instance remains available during the process, though you may experience a brief performance impact. This directly addresses the near-full storage condition without requiring a full outage.
What should I do if I get this SOA-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.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This SOA-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 SOA-C02 exam.
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