The correct answer is Deploy an Amazon Aurora global database paired with a warm standby setup in the secondary Region. Aurora global databases are designed for low-latency cross-Region replication with lag typically measured in milliseconds. This ensures the database in the secondary Region is nearly up to date. By combining this with a warm standby strategywhere scaled-down resources like EC2, Auto Scaling groups, and load balancers are already provisionedyou can achieve a very low RTO. When needed, the infrastructure can scale up quickly, and the pre-synced database ensures minimal data loss and rapid availability.

The option Implement Amazon RDS Multi-AZ configuration and use a warm standby model in the backup Region is incorrect because RDS Multi-AZ is designed for high availability within a single Region, not across Regions. It does not support cross-Region disaster recovery natively, and therefore wouldnt meet the low-latency or cross-Region requirements.

The choice Set up Amazon Aurora global database with a pilot light strategy in the failover Region reduces infrastructure costs but increases recovery time. While the database will remain current, other services such as compute, networking, and app components are not provisioned until disaster strikes, which delays recovery.

The option Use Amazon RDS Multi-AZ deployments and maintain a minimal pilot light configuration in the second Region fails on two counts. RDS Multi-AZ doesnt span Regions, and the pilot light strategy delays full recovery because the majority of services will need to be deployed during failover.

This question is critical because it tests your understanding of cross-Region disaster recovery strategies and how different configurations impact recovery time and complexity. A good trick is to identify the keywords "lowest RTO" and "up to date in a different Region"this immediately narrows your focus to global database options like Aurora global database and excludes Multi-AZ configurations.

What makes this question challenging is the subtle difference between pilot light and warm standby. Both are valid DR strategies, but only warm standby combines near-complete infrastructure with fast scaling and a pre-warmed global database, meeting both latency and RTO goals.

Full AWS Practitioner Certification Question