DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
A company uses DynamoDB with global tables in two AWS Regions. The data engineer observes that a write to the table in us-east-1 is not immediately visible in a read from eu-west-1. What is the most likely reason?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to assume DynamoDB global tables provide strong consistency across regions because they are familiar with single-region strongly consistent reads, but the exam tests the specific knowledge that cross-region replication is always eventually consistent and that strongly consistent reads are only valid within the same region.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Replication between regions is eventually consistent.
DynamoDB global tables use asynchronous replication between regions. When a write occurs in us-east-1, the change is propagated to eu-west-1 with a replication lag that is typically sub-second but not instantaneous. Reads in eu-west-1 are eventually consistent by default, meaning they may not reflect the most recent write until replication completes. This is the expected behavior of DynamoDB global tables, which prioritize availability and partition tolerance over immediate consistency across regions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Replication between regions is eventually consistent.
Why this is correct
Global tables replicate asynchronously, so there is a propagation delay.
- ✗
The read is using strongly consistent reads.
Why it's wrong here
Strongly consistent reads would return latest data in the same region, but cross-region is eventual.
- ✗
There is a write conflict that needs to be resolved.
Why it's wrong here
Write conflicts are resolved automatically, but they don't cause significant delays.
- ✗
DynamoDB Streams is not enabled on the table.
Why it's wrong here
Streams are used for replication; if not enabled, global tables wouldn't work.
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