Optimal Solution for Retaining RDS Backups in a Secondary AWS Region

Answer: D.

Option A is incorrect because although it is possible to configure RDS read-replica with automated backups in the secondary region, this is not an optimal solution.

It involves additional costs associated with the running RDS instance.

Option B is incorrect because RDS automated backups store backup data in the same region as the RDS instance.

It is not possible to configure RDS automated backups to store data in a different region.

Option C is incorrect because it is not possible to copy RDS DB snapshots to S3.

Option D is CORRECT because we must copy the manual RDS DB snapshot to the secondary region.

Reference:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/UserGuide/USER_WorkingWithAutomatedBackups.html https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/UserGuide/USER_CreateSnapshot.html

The optimal solution to meet the requirement of retaining all RDS backups in a secondary AWS region is option D, i.e., copy manual RDS DB snapshots to the secondary region.

Option A is incorrect because it suggests configuring RDS read-replica instance in the secondary region, but read-replicas are designed for read scalability and high availability, and not for disaster recovery. Although automated backups can be enabled on the read-replica instance, this configuration does not guarantee that the backups will be retained in the secondary region.

Option B is also incorrect because it only specifies that the RDS automated backups should be targeted to the secondary region, but this configuration does not guarantee that all backups will be retained in the secondary region. Also, this option does not address the requirement for manual backups.

Option C is also not the optimal solution because it involves copying manual RDS DB snapshots to an S3 bucket and enabling cross-region replication on the S3 bucket. Although this solution provides an additional layer of backup, it is not as efficient as copying manual RDS DB snapshots directly to the secondary region.

Option D is the optimal solution because it involves copying manual RDS DB snapshots to the secondary region. This ensures that all backups are retained in the secondary region and can be used for disaster recovery in case the primary region fails. It is important to note that copying the manual snapshots to the secondary region involves additional costs and must be done using AWS Management Console, AWS CLI, or AWS SDKs.