🗄️Exam Guide: Cloud Practitioner
Domain 3: Cloud Technology & Services
📘Task Statement 3.4
🎯 What Is This Task Testing?
You must recognize AWS database options and match them to scenarios:
- When to use Databases on EC2 vs Managed Databases
- Identify Relational services (Amazon RDS, Amazon Aurora)
- Identify NoSQL services (Amazon DynamoDB)
- Identify Memory-Based services (Amazon ElastiCache)
- Know Database Migration Tools (AWS DMS, AWS SCT)
1) 🧠 EC2-Hosted Databases vs Managed Databases
A common decision to make is whether you should run a database yourself on Amazon EC2 or use a managed database service.
Self Managed Databases on Amazon EC2
You install and manage the database software on EC2.
You Manage:
- OS and database patching
- backups and restores
- high availability setup
- scaling and maintenance tasks
Use Self Managed Databases on Amazon EC2 When:
- you need full control over the OS/database configuration
- you must use a database engine/configuration not supported by managed services
- you have special compliance or tooling requirements that require self-management
AWS Managed Databases
AWS handles many operational tasks.
Benefits When AWS Operates The Platform:
- reduced administrative overhead (patching, backups, maintenance)
- built-in high availability options
- easier scaling and monitoring
- faster time-to-value
Use AWS Managed Databases When:
- you want to offload routine database administration
- you want built-in reliability features without building everything yourself
2) 🧾Relational Databases
SQL
Relational databases are used when you need structured data, SQL queries, joins, and strong consistency/transaction support.
Amazon RDS
A managed service for relational databases and supports multiple engines.
Use Amazon RDS When:
- you want a managed relational database with common engines
- you need standard SQL database capabilities with simplified operations
“managed SQL database” → Amazon RDS.
Amazon Aurora
A relational database purpose built for the cloud and compatible with common SQL engines.
Use Amazon Aurora When:
- you want higher performance and cloud-optimized relational database features
- you want a managed relational database designed for scalability and availability
“cloud-optimized relational,” “high performance relational” → Amazon Aurora.
3) 🧩 NoSQL Databases
Amazon DynamoDB
A managed NoSQL database service designed for very fast, scalable access patterns.
Use Amazon DynamoDB When:
- you need low-latency reads/writes at scale
- your data model is key-value or document-style
- you want a fully managed NoSQL service without server management
“serverless NoSQL,” “key-value,” “massive scale with low latency” → DynamoDB.
4) ⚡ Memory-Based Databases
A managed in-memory data store commonly used for caching.
Use Amazon ElastiCache When:
- you need caching to reduce database load
- you need very fast access for frequently requested data
- you need in-memory storage for performance-sensitive workloads (like session storage, leaderboards, or caching query results)
“in-memory,” “cache,” “speed up reads” → ElastiCache.
5) 🚚 Database Migration Tools
Can you identify the right tool for moving Databases to AWS?
AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS)
AWS DMS is a service designed to move data between databases and it helps migrate databases to AWS with minimal downtime.
Use AWS DMS When:
- you need to migrate data from one database to another
- you want to reduce downtime during migration (continuous replication can be part of the approach)
“migrate with minimal downtime,” “replicate database to AWS” → AWS DMS.
AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT)
AWS SCT helps convert database schemas and code when moving between database engines especially from commercial/legacy engines to AWS-supported targets.
Use AWS SCT When:
- the source and target database engines differ and require schema/code conversion
- you need help converting tables, indexes, stored procedures, etc.
“convert schema,” “move from one engine to another” → AWS SCT.
✅ Quick Exam-Style Summary
- EC2-hosted DB: maximum control, maximum operational responsibility.
- Managed DB: AWS reduces ops overhead (patching, backups, HA features).
- Relational (SQL): Amazon RDS, Amazon Aurora.
- NoSQL: Amazon DynamoDB.
- In-memory/caching: Amazon ElastiCache.
-
Migration:
- AWS DMS: migrate/replicate data (often minimal downtime)
- AWS SCT: convert schema/code across engines
Top comments (2)
Very informative, thanks for sharing
thank you :)