A company needs to run a database that automatically handles hardware provisioning, patching, and backups. Which AWS service should they use?

Correct answer: Amazon RDS

Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service) is a fully managed database service that automates hardware provisioning, OS patching, database patching, and automated backups, making it the correct answer. Option B installs MySQL on EC2, which requires the customer to manually handle all patching, backups, and infrastructure management, shifting that operational burden to the customer. Option C, Amazon S3, is an object storage service and is not a relational database engine at all. Option D, AWS Lambda, is a serverless compute service for running code in response to events, not a database service.