AWS (Amazon Web Services) Certification Practice Exam

What characteristic describes a Relational Database?

1. It supports simple, light designs

2. It can easily handle a wide variety of data types

3. It allows for complex relationships between tables

4. It operates primarily in a cloud-native environment

The correct answer is: It allows for complex relationships between tables

The defining characteristic of a relational database is its ability to allow for complex relationships between tables. In a relational database, data is organized into tables, which can be linked through foreign keys. This structure facilitates the establishment of relationships among different entities, enabling the database to efficiently manage and manipulate interrelated data. For instance, in a database for a library, there may be separate tables for books, authors, and borrowers, with relationships defined to show which books are authored by which authors and which books have been borrowed by which borrowers. This capacity for complex relationships is fundamental to the functionality of relational databases. It allows for the execution of powerful queries that can retrieve and combine data from multiple tables, reflecting real-world associations. The use of structured query language (SQL) further enhances this capability, providing a robust framework for defining these relationships and conducting detailed analysis. In contrast, other characteristics mentioned in the options do not represent the primary aspect of relational databases. While some relational databases can indeed support various data types, they are not primarily designed for flexibility in this area. Additionally, while many relational databases can be deployed in cloud-native environments, that is not a defining trait of relational databases in general. Finally, the notion of supporting simple, light designs aligns more with other