Question

Difficulty: HardAWS Database Services

A healthcare provider is deploying a patient record application on AWS that requires a relational database to support complex SQL join queries across multiple tables. The system must automatically scale storage up to 128 TiB, provide high availability with data replicated across multiple Availability Zones, and ensure that AWS automatically manages database engine patching and underlying hardware maintenance. Additionally, the provider needs to configure database-level user permissions to comply with health data regulations. Which database solution should the provider implement to meet these requirements?

  1. A
    A self-managed database running on Amazon EC2 instances
  2. B
    Amazon DynamoDB
  3. Amazon AuroraAnswer
  4. D
    A monolithic database hosted in an on-premises data center

Answer

Amazon Aurora is the correct service because it is a managed relational database that scales storage automatically, provides native multi-AZ high availability, offloads engine patching and hardware management to AWS, and allows the customer to retain responsibility for database-level user permissions.
Amazon Aurora is a fully managed relational database service that supports complex SQL joins, scales storage up to 128 TiB, and provides high availability. Since it is fully managed, AWS handles the undifferentiated heavy lifting of hardware maintenance and database engine patching, while the customer remains responsible for database-level user access controls.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the database schema and query requirements.
The application requires a relational database that supports complex SQL joins across multiple tables.
This rules out non-relational database services that do not natively support SQL joins.
2
Evaluate the management and patching requirements under the Shared Responsibility Model.
AWS must manage database engine patching and underlying hardware maintenance, while the customer manages database-level user permissions.
This aligns with the Shared Responsibility Model for managed database services, eliminating self-managed EC2 options where the customer is responsible for OS/engine patching.
3
Assess the scalability and high availability requirements.
The database must scale up to 128 TiB and replicate data across multiple Availability Zones automatically.
Amazon Aurora meets these specific scaling limits and replicates data across three Availability Zones by default, making it the correct service.

Key Concept

AWS Shared Responsibility Model for Database Services and Relational vs. Non-Relational database selection
Rate this question