DBS-C01 · Question #13
A company has a database monitoring solution that uses Amazon CloudWatch for its Amazon RDS for SQL Server environment. The cause of a recent spike in CPU utilization was not determined using the…
The correct answer is B. Enable Enhanced Monitoring metrics to view CPU utilization at the RDS SQL Server DB instance E. Enable Amazon RDS Performance Insights to view the database load and filter the load by waits. Explanation Enhanced Monitoring (B) provides granular, real-time OS-level metrics (at intervals as low as 1 second) from an agent running directly on the RDS instance, giving deeper visibility into CPU processes beyond standard CloudWatch metrics. Performance Insights (E) is…
Question
A company has a database monitoring solution that uses Amazon CloudWatch for its Amazon RDS for SQL Server environment. The cause of a recent spike in CPU utilization was not determined using the standard metrics that were collected. The CPU spike caused the application to perform poorly, impacting users. A Database Specialist needs to determine what caused the CPU spike. Which combination of steps should be taken to provide more visibility into the processes and queries running during an increase in CPU load? (Choose two.)
Options
- AEnable Amazon CloudWatch Events and view the incoming T-SQL statements causing the CPU
- BEnable Enhanced Monitoring metrics to view CPU utilization at the RDS SQL Server DB instance
- CImplement a caching layer to help with repeated queries on the RDS SQL Server DB instance.
- DUse Amazon QuickSight to view the SQL statement being run.
- EEnable Amazon RDS Performance Insights to view the database load and filter the load by waits,
How the community answered
(31 responses)- A13% (4)
- B77% (24)
- C3% (1)
- D6% (2)
Explanation
Explanation
Enhanced Monitoring (B) provides granular, real-time OS-level metrics (at intervals as low as 1 second) from an agent running directly on the RDS instance, giving deeper visibility into CPU processes beyond standard CloudWatch metrics. Performance Insights (E) is purpose-built for diagnosing database load by visualizing active sessions, wait events, SQL statements, and query execution patterns - making it ideal for pinpointing what caused a CPU spike.
Why the distractors are wrong:
- A is incorrect because CloudWatch Events is an event-routing service and cannot capture or analyze T-SQL statements running on the database.
- C is incorrect because adding a caching layer is a remediation/optimization strategy, not a diagnostic tool for identifying the cause of a CPU spike.
- D is incorrect because Amazon QuickSight is a business intelligence/visualization tool for data analytics, not a database performance monitoring tool.
Memory Tip
Think "EM + PI = Diagnose RDS" - Enhanced Monitoring shows where the system resources are being consumed (OS level), while Performance Insights shows what queries are driving that consumption (database level). Together, they give you a complete picture - one without the other leaves gaps in your investigation.
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