Which AWS Service Supports MySQL Engines?
Short answer
B Amazon RDS provides a managed environment for MySQL database engines alongside other relational engines.
Question
Key Takeaways
The question tests identification of AWS database services, and the common trap is confusing relational MySQL support with NoSQL or in-memory services that only handle document, key-value, or caching workloads.
Amazon RDS is the managed relational database service that supports MySQL engines, alongside PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Oracle, and SQL Server. This page explains why RDS is the correct choice among DynamoDB, DocumentDB, and ElastiCache for MySQL workloads.
Common mistake: The most common wrong pick is Amazon DocumentDB, chosen because learners associate it with a popular engine name, but DocumentDB offers MongoDB compatibility rather than MySQL; DynamoDB is key-value NoSQL and ElastiCache is an in-memory cache, neither of which runs MySQL.
Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
Amazon RDS (option B) is a managed relational database service that explicitly supports MySQL as a first-class engine, along with PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Oracle, and SQL Server. RDS handles patching, backups, and failover while letting you run MySQL in a familiar relational model, which is exactly what the question asks for. A community comment even highlights "Integration with Amazon RDS (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Aurora)" as the deciding factor.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Amazon DynamoDB (option A) is a fully managed key-value and document NoSQL database that does not run any relational SQL engines, so it cannot host MySQL. Amazon DocumentDB (option C) is compatible with MongoDB workloads, not MySQL, despite also being a document-style database. Amazon ElastiCache (option D) provides in-memory caching through Redis and Memcached engines and is not a MySQL-compatible relational database service.
Community Comment Notes
The community was unanimous, with all 100 votes selecting B, and comments reinforced the same reasoning. ShaiTay simply stated "B. Amazon RDS", while d00b229 also concluded "B. Amazon RDS". Nikmah pointed to the RDS engine lineup covering MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Aurora, which matches the official engine documentation.
Official Reference
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/UserGuide/CHAP_MySQL.html
This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.
Exam Strategy
Anchor each database option to its engine family: RDS equals relational engines like MySQL, DynamoDB equals key-value NoSQL, DocumentDB equals MongoDB compatibility, and ElastiCache equals in-memory caching. Matching engine families to service names resolves most CLF-C02 database questions quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn't Amazon DocumentDB the answer if it also runs a database engine?
Can DynamoDB or ElastiCache host a MySQL database?
Community Votes
100% of anonymous learners picked answer B. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Discussion 2 contributions
Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.
From public community threads 2
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Nikmah 👍 1 Answered B• Integration with Amazon RDS (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Aurora)
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ShaiTay 👍 1 Answered BB. Amazon RDS
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