A developer is implementing schema changes for an Amazon Aurora database. They wish to perform tests of these schema changes. A development environment in the developer’s AWS account is required to perform these tests. What is the fastest and most effortless method for the developer to create a new Amazon Aurora development environment?

Answer options:

A.Create a read-replica of the production database.
B.Create a snapshot of the production database. Copy the snapshot. Create a new Amazon Aurora database from the snapshot.
C.Create a clone of the production database.
D.Configure the production cluster to a global database by adding a cluster in another region.

Answer: C
Option A is incorrect because read-replicas are only used for read operations on a production database. They cannot be used to perform and test schema changes.
Option B is incorrect because this is not an optimal solution. Creating and copying a snapshot and provisioning a new Aurora cluster can be a very time-consuming activity for large production databases. Operationally, this method is also not ideal as it involves many steps. Further, it is not the most cost-efficient solution as it requires storage for snapshots and additional cluster infrastructure.
Option C is CORRECT because Amazon Aurora database cloning is a quick and cost-effective method of creating “clones” of an Aurora DB cluster. The clone databases utilize minimal additional space. The clones can be used for performing operations, such as schema change testing, without impacting the source production database.
Option D is incorrect because global database clusters have only one primary instance. Any schema changes would impact the production cluster.
Reference:
https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/amazon-aurora-fast-database-cloning/
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/AuroraUserGuide/Aurora.Managing.Clone.html