Amazon RDS Multi-AZ Deployment for High Availability

CLF-C02 By islever Editorial Last updated

Identify AWS database services.

Short answer

C Multi-AZ deployment provides automatic creation of a primary instance and synchronous replication to a standby in another Availability Zone.

Question

Which feature of Amazon RDS provides the ability to automatically create a primary database instance and to synchronously replicate data to an instance in another Availability Zone?
  1. Read replicas
  2. Blue/green deployment
  3. Multi-AZ deployment Correct Answer
  4. Reserved Instances

Key Takeaways

The question tests knowledge of RDS data replication methods, with the common trap being confusion between asynchronous Read Replicas and synchronous Multi-AZ deployments.

This question tests the specific capabilities of Amazon RDS regarding high availability and disaster recovery. It establishes that Multi-AZ deployment is the correct feature for synchronous replication across Availability Zones.

Common mistake: Candidates often choose Read replicas (A) because they also provide copies of the database, but fail to note that Read Replicas replicate asynchronously, not synchronously as required by the prompt.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

Multi-AZ deployment is designed specifically for high availability and fault tolerance. When you enable Multi-AZ, Amazon RDS automatically provisions and maintains a synchronous standby replica in a different Availability Zone. This ensures that if the primary instance fails, the system automatically fails over to the standby without manual intervention, maintaining data consistency through synchronous replication.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Read replicas (A) are used for scaling read operations and can be located in the same or different regions, but they replicate data asynchronously, which means there can be a lag. Blue/green deployment (B) is used for zero-downtime migrations and updates, involving parallel environments rather than automatic failover replication. Reserved Instances (D) are a billing discount mechanism, not a technical feature for data replication or availability.

Community Comment Notes

The community consensus strongly supports option C. As one commenter noted, "Key is synchronously as Read replicas are Asynch," highlighting the critical distinction in replication timing. Another user emphasized the keyword "Automatically create..." as indicative of Multi-AZ functionality. The votes were unanimous, reflecting a clear understanding of this core AWS concept.

Exam Strategy

Focus on the keywords 'synchronously' and 'another Availability Zone' when analyzing RDS questions. These terms immediately point to Multi-AZ deployment, distinguishing it from Read Replicas which are asynchronous.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why isn't Read Replica the answer for synchronous replication?

Read Replicas replicate data asynchronously, meaning changes are applied after they occur on the source. Multi-AZ uses synchronous replication to ensure zero data loss during failover.

What is the primary purpose of Blue/Green Deployment?

Blue/Green Deployment is used for seamless application updates and migrations by running two identical environments, switching traffic only when ready, not for database replication.

More CLF-C02 FAQ →

Community Votes

C
100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer C. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 3 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 3

  1. Find24 👍 2 Answered C
    Key is synchronously as Read replicas are Asynch.
  2. AravindrajG 👍 1 Answered C
    Keyword: Automatically create a primary database instance and to synchronously replicate data to an instance in another Availability Zone. Answer is C. Multi-AZ Deployment
  3. e59311f 👍 1 Answered C
    The answer is C

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