AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03) — Question 984

A company runs its critical database on an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance. The company wants to migrate to Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL with minimal downtime and data loss.

Which solution will meet these requirements with the LEAST operational overhead?

Answer options

• A. Create a DB snapshot of the RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance to populate a new Aurora PostgreSQL DB cluster.
• B. Create an Aurora read replica of the RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance. Promote the Aurora read replicate to a new Aurora PostgreSQL DB cluster.
• C. Use data import from Amazon S3 to migrate the database to an Aurora PostgreSQL DB cluster.
• D. Use the pg_dump utility to back up the RDS for PostgreSQL database. Restore the backup to a new Aurora PostgreSQL DB cluster.

Correct answer: B

Explanation

Creating an Aurora read replica of an RDS for PostgreSQL instance establishes active replication, which minimizes data loss and downtime by keeping the target in sync before promotion. Promoting the replica to a standalone Aurora cluster is a highly automated process with the lowest operational overhead. Other methods like snapshots, S3 imports, or pg_dump require manual coordination and significant downtime during the backup, transfer, and restore phases.