The answer is uneven data distribution skew caused by an inappropriate distribution style. This is correct because STV_PARTITIONS reveals per-slice disk usage, and when some slices hold far more data than others, it indicates a distribution skew that forces those slices to fill prematurely, triggering disk-full errors even when the cluster has overall free space. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how distribution styles—KEY, EVEN, and ALL—impact storage and query performance; a common trap is assuming disk-full errors always mean you need more nodes, when the real fix is rebalancing data across slices. To resolve it, change the distribution style to EVEN for tables without a clear join key, or correct the KEY distribution by choosing a high-cardinality, evenly distributed column. Memory tip: think of STV_PARTITIONS as a “slice scale”—if the weights are lopsided, your distribution style is broken.
DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. 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 data engineer is troubleshooting an Amazon Redshift cluster that is running out of disk space. The engineer runs STV_PARTITIONS and notices that some slices have significantly more data than others. What is the most likely cause and solution?
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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Data distribution skew due to uneven distribution style; change distribution style to EVEN or correct KEY
B is correct because STV_PARTITIONS shows per-slice disk usage, and significant variation indicates data distribution skew. Uneven distribution causes some slices to fill faster, leading to premature disk-full errors. Changing the distribution style to EVEN (for tables without join keys) or correcting the KEY distribution style (using a high-cardinality, evenly distributed column) rebalances data across slices.
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.
✗
Poorly chosen sort keys; redefine sort keys
Why it's wrong here
Sort keys affect query performance, not data distribution.
✓
Data distribution skew due to uneven distribution style; change distribution style to EVEN or correct KEY
Why this is correct
Uneven distribution can cause some slices to fill up faster.
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.
✗
Some nodes are underutilized; add more nodes
Why it's wrong here
Adding nodes does not fix skew; it may mask the issue.
✗
Concurrency scaling is disabled; enable concurrency scaling
Why it's wrong here
Concurrency scaling handles read queries, not storage.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse sort keys (which improve query performance via zone maps) with distribution keys (which control data placement across slices), leading them to incorrectly select sort key redefinition as the fix for disk space skew.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Redshift distributes table rows across slices using the distribution style defined at table creation. With AUTO distribution, Redshift chooses based on table size; but if a KEY distribution column has low cardinality or skewed values, many rows hash to the same slice. The STV_PARTITIONS view reports disk usage per slice, and a ratio of max/min slice usage > 1.2 indicates significant skew. Rebuilding the table with EVEN distribution or a better KEY column redistributes rows uniformly.
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 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 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: Data distribution skew due to uneven distribution style; change distribution style to EVEN or correct KEY — B is correct because STV_PARTITIONS shows per-slice disk usage, and significant variation indicates data distribution skew. Uneven distribution causes some slices to fill faster, leading to premature disk-full errors. Changing the distribution style to EVEN (for tables without join keys) or correcting the KEY distribution style (using a high-cardinality, evenly distributed column) rebalances data across slices.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company runs a production Amazon Redshift cluster with a 5-node ra3.4xlarge configuration. The data engineer observes that write operations are failing with 'Disk Full' errors on some nodes. The cluster has not reached its total capacity. What should the engineer do to resolve this issue?
hard
✓ A.Recreate the table with a different distribution style to avoid data skew.
B.Change the sort keys to distribute data evenly.
C.Enable compression on all tables.
D.Add more nodes to the cluster.
Why A: Redshift distributes data across nodes, but if data distribution is skewed, some nodes may run out of disk space. Recreating the table with a different distribution style (e.g., DISTKEY on a column with high cardinality) can balance the data. Option D is correct. Option A: adding more nodes increases capacity but does not fix skew. Option B: enabling compression reduces storage but may not fix skew. Option C: using SORT KEY improves query performance, not disk usage.
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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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