- A
Add a read replica and use it for read traffic to reduce load on the primary.
Why wrong: Read replicas do not increase storage capacity.
- B
Modify the RDS instance to increase the allocated storage. Since the instance is Multi-AZ, the modification will be applied with minimal downtime.
RDS allows storage scaling with minimal downtime, especially for Multi-AZ instances.
- C
Create a CloudWatch alarm to notify when storage is low, then manually clean up old data.
Why wrong: Cleaning data is a temporary fix and may not be feasible.
- D
Create a new RDS instance with larger storage and migrate the data using AWS Database Migration Service.
Why wrong: This is more complex and introduces longer downtime than a simple storage modification.
Question 460 of 1,546
SOA-C02 Reliability and Business Continuity Practice Question
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 company has a production RDS for MySQL database. The SysOps administrator receives an alert that the database instance is running out of storage. The company requires high availability and minimal downtime during any modifications. What should the administrator do?
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. Since the instance is Multi-AZ, the modification will be applied with minimal downtime.
Option B is correct because modifying the allocated storage on a Multi-AZ RDS for MySQL instance can be done with minimal downtime. When you modify storage settings, Amazon RDS performs the update in the background, and for Multi-AZ deployments, the modification is applied to the standby first, then a failover occurs to minimize any interruption. This approach satisfies the high availability requirement and keeps downtime to a few seconds or less.
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.
- ✗
Add a read replica and use it for read traffic to reduce load on the primary.
Why it's wrong here
Read replicas do not increase storage capacity.
- ✓
Modify the RDS instance to increase the allocated storage. Since the instance is Multi-AZ, the modification will be applied with minimal downtime.
Why this is correct
RDS allows storage scaling with minimal downtime, especially for Multi-AZ instances.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a CloudWatch alarm to notify when storage is low, then manually clean up old data.
Why it's wrong here
Cleaning data is a temporary fix and may not be feasible.
- ✗
Create a new RDS instance with larger storage and migrate the data using AWS Database Migration Service.
Why it's wrong here
This is more complex and introduces longer downtime than a simple storage modification.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume any storage modification requires significant downtime, but for Multi-AZ RDS instances, the modification is applied to the standby first with a controlled failover, resulting in minimal disruption.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When you modify storage for a Multi-AZ RDS instance, Amazon RDS performs a storage optimization operation that can be done without a full database restart. For MySQL, the modification applies to the standby first, then a failover occurs, typically causing a brief outage of 60–120 seconds. The storage can be increased up to 64 TiB for RDS for MySQL, and the modification is applied immediately if the 'Apply Immediately' parameter is set, but for production, it's recommended to schedule during a maintenance window to control timing.
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. Since the instance is Multi-AZ, the modification will be applied with minimal downtime. — Option B is correct because modifying the allocated storage on a Multi-AZ RDS for MySQL instance can be done with minimal downtime. When you modify storage settings, Amazon RDS performs the update in the background, and for Multi-AZ deployments, the modification is applied to the standby first, then a failover occurs to minimize any interruption. This approach satisfies the high availability requirement and keeps downtime to a few seconds or less.
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
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