How should a solutions architect meet this requirement?
Set up an RDS MySQL Multi-AZ DB instance. Configure an appropriate backup window.
Set up an RDS MySQL Multi-AZ DB instance. Configure a read replica in a different Region.
Set up an RDS MySQL Single-AZ DB instance. Configure a read replica in a different Region.
Set up an RDS MySQL Single-AZ DB instance. Copy automated snapshots to at least one other Region.
Explanations:
While an RDS MySQL Multi-AZ DB instance provides high availability within a single region by automatically failing over to a standby instance in another Availability Zone, it does not provide cross-Region availability, which is necessary for this requirement.
Setting up an RDS MySQL Multi-AZ DB instance ensures high availability within a region, and configuring a read replica in a different region allows for cross-Region replication. This setup meets the requirement for minimal downtime across multiple Availability Zones and AWS Regions.
An RDS MySQL Single-AZ DB instance does not provide high availability since it lacks failover capabilities. Although a read replica in a different region can help with disaster recovery, it does not meet the requirement for high availability across Availability Zones.
While copying automated snapshots to another region provides a level of data durability and disaster recovery, it does not provide the real-time failover and high availability necessary to minimize downtime across Availability Zones and Regions.
I suspect that the answer is:
Set up an RDS MySQL Multi-AZ DB instance. Configure a read replica in a different Region.