This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data operations and support. 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 data engineer is monitoring an Amazon Kinesis Data Analytics application that processes real-time clickstream data. The application uses a Flink application with multiple operators. The engineer notices that the 'millisBehindLatest' metric is increasing steadily. Which action is MOST likely to reduce the lag?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Decrease the batch size in the Flink application.
Why wrong: Smaller batches reduce throughput.
Switch the source stream to use GZIP compression.
Why wrong: Compression affects storage, not processing lag.
Increase the parallelism of the Flink application.
More parallelism increases processing capacity.
Increase the retention period of the Kinesis stream.
Why wrong: Retention period does not affect processing speed.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Increase the parallelism of the Flink application.
Option D is correct because increasing parallelism can improve throughput and reduce lag. Option A is wrong because increasing the retention period does not affect processing speed. Option B is wrong because decreasing the batch size would reduce throughput. Option C is wrong because using a different compression may reduce storage but not lag.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Decrease the batch size in the Flink application.
Why it's wrong here
Smaller batches reduce throughput.
Switch the source stream to use GZIP compression.
Why it's wrong here
Compression affects storage, not processing lag.
Increase the parallelism of the Flink application.
Why this is correct
More parallelism increases processing capacity.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Increase the retention period of the Kinesis stream.
Why it's wrong here
Retention period does not affect processing speed.
Common exam traps
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
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.
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FAQ
Data Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Increase the parallelism of the Flink application. — Option D is correct because increasing parallelism can improve throughput and reduce lag. Option A is wrong because increasing the retention period does not affect processing speed. Option B is wrong because decreasing the batch size would reduce throughput. Option C is wrong because using a different compression may reduce storage but not lag.
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.
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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.
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