This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 to store session data for a web application. The application experiences sudden spikes in traffic, causing occasional throttling errors. The data engineer needs to handle these spikes without over-provisioning capacity. What is the MOST cost-effective solution?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure DynamoDB Auto Scaling to automatically adjust provisioned capacity.
DynamoDB Auto Scaling (option C) is the most cost-effective solution because it automatically adjusts the provisioned read/write capacity based on actual traffic patterns, handling sudden spikes without manual intervention or over-provisioning. This avoids paying for unused capacity during low-traffic periods while still accommodating bursts within the configured 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.
✗
Set up a TTL (Time to Live) attribute to automatically delete old session data.
Why it's wrong here
TTL helps manage storage costs but does not affect capacity throttling.
✗
Enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) to cache read requests.
Why it's wrong here
DAX reduces read latency but does not prevent throttling due to write capacity limits.
✓
Configure DynamoDB Auto Scaling to automatically adjust provisioned capacity.
Why this is correct
Auto Scaling dynamically adapts to traffic patterns, preventing throttling and reducing cost.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Switch to DynamoDB on-demand mode.
Why it's wrong here
On-demand mode can handle spikes but is usually more expensive for workloads with predictable traffic patterns.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse DynamoDB on-demand mode (option D) as the default solution for unpredictable traffic, but the exam tests cost optimization—on-demand is premium-priced per request, while Auto Scaling with provisioned capacity is more cost-effective for workloads with variable but not extreme traffic patterns.
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 CloudWatch metrics like ConsumedReadCapacityUnits and ConsumedWriteCapacityUnits, with a target utilization percentage (default 70%). It can scale up quickly to handle spikes but has a cooldown period (typically 1 minute) that may still cause throttling if traffic surges faster than the scaling response, so engineers often combine it with burst capacity (using the 5-minute burst credit bucket) to absorb short-term peaks.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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: Configure DynamoDB Auto Scaling to automatically adjust provisioned capacity. — DynamoDB Auto Scaling (option C) is the most cost-effective solution because it automatically adjusts the provisioned read/write capacity based on actual traffic patterns, handling sudden spikes without manual intervention or over-provisioning. This avoids paying for unused capacity during low-traffic periods while still accommodating bursts within the configured 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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This DEA-C01 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DEA-C01 exam.
Question Discussion
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