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 to store session data for a web application. The application experiences occasional spikes in traffic, causing throttling on the table. The data engineer needs to implement a solution that handles traffic spikes without manual intervention and minimizes cost. What should the data engineer do?
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 for the table.
DynamoDB Auto Scaling automatically adjusts read and write capacity based on traffic patterns, handling spikes without manual intervention. Option A is wrong because provisioned capacity with fixed values would either underprovision (causing throttling) or overprovision (wasting cost). Option C is wrong because DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) is a caching layer that reduces read load but doesn't handle write spikes and adds cost. Option D is wrong because reserved capacity offers discounts but doesn't handle spikes automatically.
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.
✗
Switch to provisioned capacity with a high fixed read/write capacity.
Why it's wrong here
Fixed capacity would either cause throttling during spikes or be wasteful.
✗
Implement DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) to cache read requests.
Why it's wrong here
DAX helps with read performance but does not prevent write throttling.
✗
Purchase DynamoDB reserved capacity.
Why it's wrong here
Reserved capacity provides discounts, not dynamic scaling.
✓
Enable DynamoDB Auto Scaling for the table.
Why this is correct
Auto Scaling adjusts capacity automatically to handle spikes and minimize cost.
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 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.
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: Enable DynamoDB Auto Scaling for the table. — DynamoDB Auto Scaling automatically adjusts read and write capacity based on traffic patterns, handling spikes without manual intervention. Option A is wrong because provisioned capacity with fixed values would either underprovision (causing throttling) or overprovision (wasting cost). Option C is wrong because DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) is a caching layer that reduces read load but doesn't handle write spikes and adds cost. Option D is wrong because reserved capacity offers discounts but doesn't handle spikes automatically.
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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Question Discussion
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