This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company uses Amazon DynamoDB for a gaming application that requires single-digit millisecond read and write latencies. The application experiences throttling on the 'GameScores' table during peak hours. The table has a partition key of 'game_id' and a sort key of 'player_id'. The data engineer needs to improve performance without changing the table's provisioned capacity. Which THREE actions should the engineer take? (Choose THREE.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable DynamoDB auto scaling to adjust capacity based on traffic patterns.
Option B is correct because DynamoDB auto scaling automatically adjusts the provisioned read and write capacity based on actual traffic patterns, preventing throttling during peak hours without manual intervention. This allows the table to handle bursts while maintaining single-digit millisecond latencies, as long as the traffic stays within the auto scaling limits.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Enable DynamoDB adaptive capacity to allow more throughput per partition.
Why it's wrong here
Adaptive capacity is always on and does not require explicit enablement.
✓
Enable DynamoDB auto scaling to adjust capacity based on traffic patterns.
Why this is correct
Auto scaling prevents throttling by adjusting capacity automatically.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Add a Global Secondary Index (GSI) on a different partition key to offload reads.
Why this is correct
A GSI can distribute read traffic and reduce throttling on the base table.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Implement DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) for caching frequent reads.
Why this is correct
DAX reduces read load on the table by caching results.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Increase the read capacity units (RCUs) to twice the peak observed value.
Why it's wrong here
This changes provisioned capacity, which the engineer wants to avoid.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse adaptive capacity with auto scaling, or think that increasing provisioned capacity is the only solution, but the question explicitly prohibits changing provisioned capacity, making options that alter RCUs or WCUs incorrect.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DynamoDB auto scaling uses the AWS Application Auto Scaling service to adjust provisioned capacity based on target utilization (e.g., 70% of consumed capacity), with cooldown periods to prevent rapid fluctuations. DAX acts as an in-memory cache for DynamoDB, reducing read latency from single-digit milliseconds to microseconds for frequently accessed items, and offloading read requests from the table. A Global Secondary Index (GSI) with a different partition key allows querying on non-key attributes, distributing read load across a separate index and reducing contention on the base table.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Data Store Management — This question tests Data Store Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable DynamoDB auto scaling to adjust capacity based on traffic patterns. — Option B is correct because DynamoDB auto scaling automatically adjusts the provisioned read and write capacity based on actual traffic patterns, preventing throttling during peak hours without manual intervention. This allows the table to handle bursts while maintaining single-digit millisecond latencies, as long as the traffic stays within the auto scaling limits.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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