SAA-C03 Q688 · Database

Question

A solutions architect needs to save a particular automated database snapshot from an Amazon RDS for Microsoft SQL Server DB instance for longer than the maximum number of days. Which solution will meet these requirements in the MOST operationally efficient way?

Accepted Answer

**Option A: Create a manual copy of the snapshot** is correct because:

1. **Requirement**: Keep an automated snapshot longer than the maximum retention period (35 days for RDS).
2. **How it works**: RDS automated snapshots are governed by the retention period (1–35 days). Once the retention period expires, automated snapshots are deleted. However, when you **copy an automated snapshot**, the copy becomes a **manual snapshot**.
3. **Manual snapshots persist indefinitely** — they are never automatically deleted by RDS. They remain until you explicitly delete them.
4. **Operationally efficient**: This is a single API call (`copy-db-snapshot`) or a few clicks in the console. No data transformation, no external tools, no additional infrastructure. The snapshot stays within RDS's native ecosyst

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📘 Key Concepts

🏗️ Architecture

⚙️ Operations

💰 Cost

🔒 Security

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