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 leaderboard. The table has a partition key of 'GameId' and a sort key of 'Score'. The application needs to query the top 10 scores for a given game. Which DynamoDB feature should be used for optimal performance?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a Global Secondary Index with the same partition key and sort key, then query with ScanIndexForward false.
Option C is correct because a Global Secondary Index with 'GameId' as partition key and 'Score' as sort key allows efficient querying with ScanIndexForward=false to get top scores. Option A is wrong because the base table's sort key is 'Score', but querying by 'GameId' and sorting descending would work but is less efficient if the table has other attributes. However, GSI is specifically for this access pattern. Option B is wrong because DynamoDB Streams is for change data capture, not querying. Option D is wrong because DAX is a caching layer, not a querying feature.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Use a Query operation on the base table with ScanIndexForward set to false.
Why it's wrong here
This works but may be less efficient if the base table's sort key is 'Score' and you need to filter by GameId; a GSI is purpose-built.
✗
Enable DynamoDB Streams and use a Lambda function to compute the leaderboard.
Why it's wrong here
Streams are for capturing changes, not for real-time queries.
✗
Use DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) to cache the results of a Scan operation.
Why it's wrong here
DAX caches data, but scanning is inefficient for top-N queries.
✓
Create a Global Secondary Index with the same partition key and sort key, then query with ScanIndexForward false.
Why this is correct
A GSI optimizes the query pattern for fetching top scores per game.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DEA-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Data Store Management — This question tests Data Store Management — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a Global Secondary Index with the same partition key and sort key, then query with ScanIndexForward false. — Option C is correct because a Global Secondary Index with 'GameId' as partition key and 'Score' as sort key allows efficient querying with ScanIndexForward=false to get top scores. Option A is wrong because the base table's sort key is 'Score', but querying by 'GameId' and sorting descending would work but is less efficient if the table has other attributes. However, GSI is specifically for this access pattern. Option B is wrong because DynamoDB Streams is for change data capture, not querying. Option D is wrong because DAX is a caching layer, not a querying feature.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DEA-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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