Understand relational, key-value, document, graph, and in-memory database models and AWS managed database choices.

Learn managed relational database instances, engines, endpoints, parameter groups, and subnet groups.

Create and configure RDS databases with engine, instance class, storage, credentials, networking, and backup settings.

Choose RDS storage types and understand allocated storage, IOPS, throughput, and storage autoscaling.

Build highly available relational databases using synchronous standby architecture and automatic failover.

Scale read-heavy workloads and design replication-based architectures using RDS read replicas.

Protect relational databases with automated backups, point-in-time recovery, and manual snapshots.

Configure engine behavior through parameter groups and engine-specific option groups where supported.

Secure relational databases with private networking, security groups, IAM, encryption, and secrets management.

Understand Aurora clusters, writer and reader endpoints, storage architecture, replicas, and failover.

Learn DynamoDB tables, items, attributes, primary keys, partition keys, and high-scale NoSQL access patterns.

Choose on-demand or provisioned capacity and understand adaptive capacity, throttling, and workload scaling.

Design and use local and global secondary indexes for alternate access patterns.

Use conditional expressions and transactions to protect data integrity in distributed applications.

Use managed Redis or Memcached-compatible caching to reduce database load and improve application latency.

Understand document-oriented storage, JSON-like documents, clusters, instances, and MongoDB compatibility.

Learn graph database concepts, property graphs, graph queries, and Neptune cluster architecture.

Connect applications to managed databases securely using VPC networking, endpoints, ports, DNS, and security groups.

Monitor database CPU, connections, storage, latency, I/O, and service events using CloudWatch and service metrics.

Scale relational and NoSQL databases using vertical scaling, replicas, partitioning, caching, and service-specific mechanisms.

Understand database migration concepts and use AWS Database Migration Service for supported migration and replication workflows.

Design database recovery using Multi-AZ, replicas, backups, cross-Region strategies, RPO, and RTO.

Optimize database costs through right-sizing, capacity modes, storage choices, replicas, retention, and workload-aware architecture.

Protect databases with IAM, network controls, encryption, secrets management, auditing, and least privilege.

Diagnose RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, ElastiCache, DocumentDB, and Neptune issues using a layered troubleshooting process.