The correct answer is to enable DynamoDB Streams on the table and configure a Lambda function to write changes to S3. This approach achieves DynamoDB to S3 replication with minimal impact because it captures item-level changes in near real-time without consuming any read capacity units from the source table, leaving the primary workload untouched. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this pattern tests your understanding of asynchronous, event-driven architectures versus batch or read-heavy alternatives. A common trap is choosing the Export to S3 feature, which is designed for one-time or scheduled snapshots, not continuous replication, or mistakenly using a Scan operation, which would throttle the table under 100 GB per day of traffic. Remember the key distinction: if the requirement says “minimal impact” and “continuous,” think streams and triggers, not scans or exports. Memory tip: “Streams for streams of data, Scan for a standstill.”
DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data ingestion and transformation. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 gaming company collects player event data from mobile devices. The data is sent to an Amazon API Gateway endpoint, which triggers an AWS Lambda function that writes the data to an Amazon DynamoDB table. The company wants to also store the data in Amazon S3 for historical analysis. The data volume is about 100 GB per day. The data engineer needs to design a solution to copy data from DynamoDB to S3 with minimal impact on the DynamoDB table. 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 Streams on the table and configure a Lambda function to write changes to S3.
Option A is correct. Using DynamoDB Streams with a Lambda function that writes to S3 is a common pattern for real-time replication with minimal impact. Option B is wrong because Export to S3 is a one-time or scheduled export, not continuous. Option C is wrong because using Scan would consume read capacity and impact performance. Option D is wrong because adding a secondary index does not help with exporting data.
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.
✓
Enable DynamoDB Streams on the table and configure a Lambda function to write changes to S3.
Why this is correct
Streams capture changes with low latency and minimal impact on the table.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Create a global secondary index on the table and export the index to S3.
Why it's wrong here
An index does not provide a mechanism to export data to S3.
✗
Use AWS Glue to scan the DynamoDB table and write results to S3 every hour.
Why it's wrong here
Scanning consumes read capacity and can impact table performance.
✗
Use the DynamoDB Export to S3 feature to export the entire table daily.
Why it's wrong here
Export to S3 is good for full snapshots but not for continuous replication; also, it runs on a schedule, not real-time.
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 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
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 Ingestion and Transformation — This question tests Data Ingestion and Transformation — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable DynamoDB Streams on the table and configure a Lambda function to write changes to S3. — Option A is correct. Using DynamoDB Streams with a Lambda function that writes to S3 is a common pattern for real-time replication with minimal impact. Option B is wrong because Export to S3 is a one-time or scheduled export, not continuous. Option C is wrong because using Scan would consume read capacity and impact performance. Option D is wrong because adding a secondary index does not help with exporting data.
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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