- A
Enable Multi-AZ deployment
Why wrong: Provides failover but does not scale read capacity.
- B
Increase the DB instance class to a larger size
Why wrong: Increases cost significantly, may not be optimal.
- C
Use Amazon ElastiCache to cache read results
Why wrong: Adds complexity and cost; Read Replicas are simpler for this use case.
- D
Add one or more Read Replicas in the same Region
Offloads reads effectively and is cost-efficient.
Question 641 of 1,546
SOA-C02 Cost and Performance Optimization Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cost and performance optimization. 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 is running a critical application on Amazon RDS for MySQL. The database is experiencing high read traffic, causing performance issues. The SysOps administrator needs to improve read performance while keeping costs low. Which solution should the administrator choose?
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
✓
Add one or more Read Replicas in the same Region
Adding one or more Read Replicas in the same Region offloads read traffic from the primary RDS instance by directing SELECT queries to the replicas, which are asynchronous copies of the primary. This directly addresses high read traffic without incurring the cost of a larger instance or the complexity of caching, making it the most cost-effective solution for read scaling.
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.
- ✗
Enable Multi-AZ deployment
Why it's wrong here
Provides failover but does not scale read capacity.
- ✗
Increase the DB instance class to a larger size
Why it's wrong here
Increases cost significantly, may not be optimal.
- ✗
Use Amazon ElastiCache to cache read results
Why it's wrong here
Adds complexity and cost; Read Replicas are simpler for this use case.
- ✓
Add one or more Read Replicas in the same Region
Why this is correct
Offloads reads effectively and is cost-efficient.
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 confusing Multi-AZ (high availability) with read scaling, leading candidates to select Option A, which does not improve read performance because the standby replica is not accessible for reads.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Amazon RDS Read Replicas use MySQL's native asynchronous replication, where the primary writes binary logs and replicas apply them. Replicas can be promoted to standalone instances if needed, and they support engine-level read scaling without application changes, as they appear as separate database endpoints. In contrast, ElastiCache requires explicit cache-aside or lazy-loading patterns in the application, adding latency and complexity for cache misses.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
Cost and Performance Optimization — This question tests Cost and Performance Optimization — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add one or more Read Replicas in the same Region — Adding one or more Read Replicas in the same Region offloads read traffic from the primary RDS instance by directing SELECT queries to the replicas, which are asynchronous copies of the primary. This directly addresses high read traffic without incurring the cost of a larger instance or the complexity of caching, making it the most cost-effective solution for read scaling.
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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