A Lambda-based application opens many short-lived connections to an RDS database. During bursts, connection setup consumes database resources even though query volume is manageable. The team needs managed connection pooling while retaining RDS. Which option best addresses the problem?

1. Enable Multi-AZ and connect applications directly to the synchronous standby to offload connection setup.
2. Place RDS Proxy between Lambda and the database and configure the application to use the proxy endpoint.
3. Add a read replica and keep all application connections pointed at the primary endpoint.
4. Increase the Lambda timeout so every invocation keeps its connection open longer.