What is AWS OpsWorks?
A) OpsWorks is an EC2 monitoring tool that triggers Auto Scaling based on application metrics.
B) OpsWorks is a compliance service that enforces CIS Benchmarks on EC2 configurations.
C) OpsWorks is a code deployment service that integrates with GitHub and CodePipeline.
D) Configuration management service using Chef or Puppet to automate server configuration through code.
D) Configuration management service using Chef or Puppet to automate server configuration through code.
What is Amazon RDS?
A) Relational Database Service – managed relational DB service. Supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Oracle, MS SQL Server, Aurora. AWS handles patching, backups, hardware provisioning, replication.
B) RDS is a managed caching service compatible with Redis and Memcached.
C) RDS is a NoSQL database service for unstructured and schema-less data at petabyte scale.
D) RDS is a serverless data warehouse service for OLAP analytics on large datasets.
A) Relational Database Service – managed relational DB service. Supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Oracle, MS SQL Server, Aurora. AWS handles patching, backups, hardware provisioning, replication.
What are the key features of RDS?
A) Multi-AZ and Read Replicas are the same feature; both provide high availability and read scaling.
B) RDS does not support encryption — you must use a self-managed database for encrypted storage.
C) Multi-AZ (synchronous standby, HA not read scaling), Read Replicas (async, up to 5, for read scaling), Automated Backups (1-35 day retention), Manual Snapshots (retained until deleted), Encryption at rest (KMS) and in transit (SSL).
D) Multi-AZ for read scaling, Read Replicas for high availability, and manual backups only.
C) Multi-AZ (synchronous standby, HA not read scaling), Read Replicas (async, up to 5, for read scaling), Automated Backups (1-35 day retention), Manual Snapshots (retained until deleted), Encryption at rest (KMS) and in transit (SSL).
What is RDS Multi-AZ and what is it for?
A) Multi-AZ creates asynchronous read replicas in another AZ for scaling read traffic.
B) A synchronous standby replica in a different AZ. Provides automatic failover for high availability. NOT used for read scaling – that is what Read Replicas are for.
C) Multi-AZ deploys the database across all regions simultaneously for global low latency.
D) Multi-AZ is a backup strategy that stores RDS snapshots in a different AZ automatically.
B) A synchronous standby replica in a different AZ. Provides automatic failover for high availability. NOT used for read scaling – that is what Read Replicas are for.
What is RDS Read Replicas and what is it for?
A) Read Replicas are incremental backups that can be restored to create a new primary.
B) Asynchronous copies of the primary database (up to 5). Used to scale read traffic. Can be in the same region, cross-region, or promoted to standalone DB.
C) Read Replicas are synchronous standbys used for automatic failover during outages.
D) Read Replicas are multi-region primary databases used for active-active configurations.
B) Asynchronous copies of the primary database (up to 5). Used to scale read traffic. Can be in the same region, cross-region, or promoted to standalone DB.
What is Amazon Aurora?
A) Aurora is an in-memory caching layer for RDS that provides sub-millisecond query times.
B) AWS-proprietary relational DB engine. MySQL and PostgreSQL compatible. 5× faster than MySQL, 3× faster than PostgreSQL. Storage auto-scales 10GB–128TB. Aurora Serverless: auto-scales compute. Aurora Global Database: multi-region with sub-second replication.
C) Aurora is a NoSQL database compatible with MongoDB and Cassandra.
D) Aurora is a managed data warehouse service 5× faster than Redshift for OLAP queries.
B) AWS-proprietary relational DB engine. MySQL and PostgreSQL compatible. 5× faster than MySQL, 3× faster than PostgreSQL. Storage auto-scales 10GB–128TB. Aurora Serverless: auto-scales compute. Aurora Global Database: multi-region with sub-second replication.
What is Amazon DynamoDB?
A) Fully managed NoSQL database (key-value + document). Single-digit millisecond latency at any scale. Serverless. Scales to petabytes and millions of requests/second. Tables contain items (like rows) with attributes.
B) DynamoDB is a managed relational database compatible with MySQL and PostgreSQL.
C) DynamoDB is a managed data warehouse service for petabyte-scale analytics.
D) DynamoDB is a managed graph database optimised for social network applications.
A) Fully managed NoSQL database (key-value + document). Single-digit millisecond latency at any scale. Serverless. Scales to petabytes and millions of requests/second. Tables contain items (like rows) with attributes.
What are the key DynamoDB concepts?
A) Table, Items (rows), Attributes (columns – flexible schema). Primary Key: Partition Key (required) + optional Sort Key. DynamoDB Streams: capture item changes. DAX: in-memory microsecond cache. Global Tables: multi-region multi-master.
B) Collections, Documents, Fields, ObjectID — DynamoDB uses MongoDB-compatible data model.
C) Tables, Rows, Columns, Primary Keys, Foreign Keys, and Indexes — same as SQL databases.
D) Clusters, Keyspaces, Partitions, and Tokens — DynamoDB uses a Cassandra-compatible model.
A) Table, Items (rows), Attributes (columns – flexible schema). Primary Key: Partition Key (required) + optional Sort Key. DynamoDB Streams: capture item changes. DAX: in-memory microsecond cache. Global Tables: multi-region multi-master.
What is DynamoDB DAX?
A) DynamoDB Accelerator – an in-memory cache for DynamoDB delivering microsecond read latency (vs milliseconds without DAX).
B) DAX is a DynamoDB streaming feature that captures item changes for event-driven processing.
C) DAX is DynamoDB’s built-in backup service that takes automatic point-in-time snapshots.
D) DAX is DynamoDB’s cross-region replication feature for multi-master active-active setups.
A) DynamoDB Accelerator – an in-memory cache for DynamoDB delivering microsecond read latency (vs milliseconds without DAX).
What is Amazon Redshift?
A) Redshift is a managed search and analytics engine based on Elasticsearch.
B) Fully managed petabyte-scale data warehouse. SQL-compatible, OLAP (Online Analytical Processing). Based on PostgreSQL. Great for running analysis and aggregation on large datasets. Redshift Spectrum: query S3 data without loading it in.
C) Redshift is an in-memory cache that speeds up DynamoDB queries to microsecond latency.
D) Redshift is a managed OLTP relational database optimised for transactional workloads.
B) Fully managed petabyte-scale data warehouse. SQL-compatible, OLAP (Online Analytical Processing). Based on PostgreSQL. Great for running analysis and aggregation on large datasets. Redshift Spectrum: query S3 data without loading it in.
What is Amazon ElastiCache?
A) Managed in-memory caching. Redis: rich data structures, persistence, replication, cluster mode. Memcached: simple, multi-threaded, horizontal scaling. Use cases: DB query caching, session storage, real-time leaderboards.
B) ElastiCache is a managed relational database for caching SQL query results on disk.
C) ElastiCache is a DynamoDB accelerator that uses SSD storage to speed up reads.
D) ElastiCache is a CDN service that caches web content at AWS edge locations.
A) Managed in-memory caching. Redis: rich data structures, persistence, replication, cluster mode. Memcached: simple, multi-threaded, horizontal scaling. Use cases: DB query caching, session storage, real-time leaderboards.
SQL vs NoSQL databases – key differences?
A) SQL and NoSQL have identical performance characteristics; they differ only in query language.
B) SQL is horizontally scaled and schema-less; NoSQL is vertically scaled and uses fixed schemas.
C) NoSQL uses ACID properties; SQL uses BASE properties for eventual consistency.
D) SQL: structured/schema, ACID properties, vertically scaled, uses SQL. | NoSQL: unstructured/schema-less, BASE properties (basically available, soft state, eventual consistency), horizontally scaled.
D) SQL: structured/schema, ACID properties, vertically scaled, uses SQL. | NoSQL: unstructured/schema-less, BASE properties (basically available, soft state, eventual consistency), horizontally scaled.
What are the specialty AWS database services?
A) Kinesis, SQS, SNS, MQ, and EventBridge — the five specialty streaming database services.
B) S3, EBS, EFS, Glacier, and FSx — the five specialty storage-as-database services.
C) DocumentDB (MongoDB-compatible, JSON documents), Neptune (graph DB, social networks), QLDB (immutable ledger, financial transactions), Timestream (serverless time-series), Keyspaces (Cassandra-compatible, IoT/time-series), OpenSearch (Elasticsearch clone, search/analytics).
D) RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, ElastiCache, and Redshift — the five specialty database services.
C) DocumentDB (MongoDB-compatible, JSON documents), Neptune (graph DB, social networks), QLDB (immutable ledger, financial transactions), Timestream (serverless time-series), Keyspaces (Cassandra-compatible, IoT/time-series), OpenSearch (Elasticsearch clone, search/analytics).
What is AWS DMS?
A) DMS is a schema conversion tool that rewrites database schemas between SQL engines.
B) DMS is a continuous backup service that replicates RDS snapshots to another region.
C) DMS is a managed ETL service that transforms data between data warehouse formats.
D) Database Migration Service – migrates databases to AWS with minimal downtime and zero data loss. Supports homogeneous migrations (same engine) and heterogeneous (different engine).
D) Database Migration Service – migrates databases to AWS with minimal downtime and zero data loss. Supports homogeneous migrations (same engine) and heterogeneous (different engine).
What is AWS SCT?
A) SCT is a database performance tuning tool that optimises slow SQL queries automatically.
B) Schema Conversion Tool – converts database schema from one engine to another (e.g. Oracle to PostgreSQL). Used alongside DMS for heterogeneous migrations.
C) SCT is a compliance assessment tool that checks database configurations against standards.
D) SCT is a data masking service that anonymises sensitive data before migrating to AWS.
B) Schema Conversion Tool – converts database schema from one engine to another (e.g. Oracle to PostgreSQL). Used alongside DMS for heterogeneous migrations.
Self-managed vs managed databases – trade-offs?
A) Both have identical operational overhead — the only difference is licensing cost.
B) Self-managed: full control, but you handle backups, HA, replication, patching, and scaling – high operational overhead. | Managed (RDS, Aurora): AWS handles infrastructure, HA, patching, backups – reduced control but far lower overhead.
C) Managed databases give more control; self-managed databases are easier to operate.
D) Self-managed databases are always cheaper; managed services include hidden premium fees.
B) Self-managed: full control, but you handle backups, HA, replication, patching, and scaling – high operational overhead. | Managed (RDS, Aurora): AWS handles infrastructure, HA, patching, backups – reduced control but far lower overhead.
What is Amazon SQS?
A) Simple Queue Service – fully managed message queue. Decouples application components. Messages retained up to 14 days. Standard Queue: best-effort ordering, at-least-once delivery, unlimited throughput. FIFO Queue: exactly-once, ordered, up to 3,000 msg/sec.
B) SQS is a real-time streaming service for ingesting IoT and clickstream data.
C) SQS is a pub/sub notification service where one message fans out to many subscribers.
D) SQS is a managed API gateway that queues HTTP requests for backend processing.
A) Simple Queue Service – fully managed message queue. Decouples application components. Messages retained up to 14 days. Standard Queue: best-effort ordering, at-least-once delivery, unlimited throughput. FIFO Queue: exactly-once, ordered, up to 3,000 msg/sec.
What is Amazon SNS?
A) SNS is a managed email service for sending transactional and marketing emails.
B) SNS is a real-time data streaming service for high-throughput event ingestion.
C) Simple Notification Service – pub/sub messaging. One published message fans out to many subscribers simultaneously. Protocols: Email, SMS, HTTP/HTTPS, Lambda, SQS, Mobile Push. No message persistence.
D) SNS is a message queue that stores messages for up to 14 days for later processing.
C) Simple Notification Service – pub/sub messaging. One published message fans out to many subscribers simultaneously. Protocols: Email, SMS, HTTP/HTTPS, Lambda, SQS, Mobile Push. No message persistence.
SQS vs SNS – full comparison?
A) SQS delivers to multiple subscribers simultaneously; SNS delivers to only one consumer.
B) SNS persists messages for 14 days; SQS delivers immediately and does not store messages.
C) Both SQS and SNS are push-based; SQS fans out to multiple consumers; SNS queues messages.
D) SQS: queue (pull model), one consumer per message, persists up to 14 days, used for decoupling/buffering. | SNS: topic (push/fan-out), multiple subscribers receive same message, no persistence, used for broadcasts/notifications.
D) SQS: queue (pull model), one consumer per message, persists up to 14 days, used for decoupling/buffering. | SNS: topic (push/fan-out), multiple subscribers receive same message, no persistence, used for broadcasts/notifications.
What is Amazon EventBridge?
A) Serverless event bus for event-driven applications (formerly CloudWatch Events). Routes events between AWS services, SaaS apps, and custom apps using rules and event patterns. Supports cron/scheduled events.
B) EventBridge is a cron job service that only runs scheduled tasks on a fixed interval.
C) EventBridge is a real-time analytics service for processing streaming IoT event data.
D) EventBridge is a managed message queue service that replaces SQS for event-driven apps.
A) Serverless event bus for event-driven applications (formerly CloudWatch Events). Routes events between AWS services, SaaS apps, and custom apps using rules and event patterns. Supports cron/scheduled events.
What is Amazon Kinesis?
A) Kinesis is a managed message queue (like SQS) designed for high-throughput event ingestion.
B) Kinesis is a managed ETL service that transforms data between S3 and Redshift.
C) Kinesis is a pub/sub notification service (like SNS) optimised for streaming workloads.
D) Real-time data streaming. Kinesis Data Streams: capture/process/store data streams. Kinesis Data Firehose: load streaming data to S3/Redshift/OpenSearch. Kinesis Data Analytics: SQL or Flink analysis of streams. Use cases: IoT, log analytics, clickstream.
D) Real-time data streaming. Kinesis Data Streams: capture/process/store data streams. Kinesis Data Firehose: load streaming data to S3/Redshift/OpenSearch. Kinesis Data Analytics: SQL or Flink analysis of streams. Use cases: IoT, log analytics, clickstream.
What is AWS Step Functions?
A) Step Functions is an event bus service for routing events between AWS services.
B) Step Functions is a managed cron job service for scheduling Lambda executions.
C) Step Functions is a CI/CD pipeline service for orchestrating code deployments.
D) Serverless visual workflow service. Coordinates multiple AWS services into state-machine workflows defined in Amazon States Language (JSON). Used to orchestrate Lambda functions, ETL jobs, and ML pipelines.
D) Serverless visual workflow service. Coordinates multiple AWS services into state-machine workflows defined in Amazon States Language (JSON). Used to orchestrate Lambda functions, ETL jobs, and ML pipelines.
What is Amazon API Gateway?
A) Fully managed service to create, publish, and maintain REST and WebSocket APIs. Integrates with Lambda, EC2, HTTP endpoints. Features: authentication, throttling, caching, monitoring.
B) API Gateway is a DNS service that routes API subdomains to backend EC2 instances.
C) API Gateway is a load balancer that distributes REST API traffic across Lambda functions.
D) API Gateway is a CDN service that caches API responses at CloudFront edge locations.
A) Fully managed service to create, publish, and maintain REST and WebSocket APIs. Integrates with Lambda, EC2, HTTP endpoints. Features: authentication, throttling, caching, monitoring.
What is Elastic Load Balancing (ELB) in the context of application integration?
A) Distributes incoming traffic across multiple backend targets (EC2, ECS, EKS, Lambda). Acts as a single point of contact for clients. Works with Auto Scaling to handle varying load.
B) ELB is a DNS failover service that redirects traffic when a region becomes unavailable.
C) ELB is a caching layer that stores backend responses to reduce database query load.
D) ELB is a VPN service that securely connects client applications to backend services.
A) Distributes incoming traffic across multiple backend targets (EC2, ECS, EKS, Lambda). Acts as a single point of contact for clients. Works with Auto Scaling to handle varying load.
