The correct answer is to configure a dead-letter queue (DLQ) on the Lambda function and increase the DynamoDB write capacity. This two-part solution directly addresses the root cause of DynamoDB throttling from a Kinesis Lambda consumer: the Lambda function is overwhelmed by the stream’s throughput, causing writes to exceed the table’s provisioned capacity. The DLQ captures any records that still fail after retries, ensuring no data is lost, while increasing write capacity resolves the immediate throttling bottleneck. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Lambda’s built-in retry behavior interacts with DynamoDB’s capacity model—a common trap is choosing only to increase write capacity, which ignores the risk of data loss from persistent failures. Remember the memory tip: “DLQ for safety, capacity for speed”—both are needed to handle throttling without losing a single record.
DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data operations and support. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 Kinesis Data Streams with a Lambda consumer. The Lambda function is failing with 'ProvisionedThroughputExceededException' when writing to a DynamoDB table. Which action should the data engineer take to resolve this without losing data?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure a dead-letter queue (DLQ) on the Lambda function and increase the DynamoDB write capacity.
Option B is correct because adding a dead-letter queue (DLQ) on the Lambda function captures failed records for later reprocessing, preventing data loss. Option A (disable retries) would lose data. Option C (increase DynamoDB write capacity) addresses the throughput but does not handle failures that may still occur. Option D (reduce shards) would reduce the ingestion rate but may not solve the issue and could cause data loss.
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.
✗
Reduce the number of Kinesis shards to lower the ingestion rate.
Why it's wrong here
Reducing shards would lower ingestion but may cause data loss if the shard is deleted.
✗
Increase the DynamoDB table's read capacity.
Why it's wrong here
The error is about write capacity, not read.
✓
Configure a dead-letter queue (DLQ) on the Lambda function and increase the DynamoDB write capacity.
Why this is correct
The DLQ captures failed records, and increasing write capacity reduces throttling. Together, they prevent data loss.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Disable retries on the Lambda function to avoid throttling.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling retries would cause data to be lost if the write fails.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Data Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure a dead-letter queue (DLQ) on the Lambda function and increase the DynamoDB write capacity. — Option B is correct because adding a dead-letter queue (DLQ) on the Lambda function captures failed records for later reprocessing, preventing data loss. Option A (disable retries) would lose data. Option C (increase DynamoDB write capacity) addresses the throughput but does not handle failures that may still occur. Option D (reduce shards) would reduce the ingestion rate but may not solve the issue and could cause data loss.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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