DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
A team uses Amazon Redshift for analytics. They notice that some queries are slow and the system shows high disk usage. The team wants to improve query performance without adding more nodes. Which action should they take first?
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
✓
Run the VACUUM and ANALYZE commands on the tables.
VACUUM and ANALYZE are the first actions to take because they reclaim disk space from deleted rows and update table statistics, which can significantly improve query performance and reduce disk usage. Option B is incorrect because enabling compression on all columns is not a first step; compression is typically set during table creation and may not address current disk usage issues. Option C is incorrect: redistributing tables by changing the distribution key requires recreating the table, which is an invasive operation and not the first troubleshooting step. Option D is incorrect: modifying the WLM queue affects concurrency management, not disk usage or query performance directly related to high disk usage.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Run the VACUUM and ANALYZE commands on the tables.
Why this is correct
VACUUM reclaims space, ANALYZE updates statistics.
- ✗
Enable compression on all columns.
Why it's wrong here
Compression is set at table creation; altering is complex.
- ✗
Redistribute the tables by changing the distribution key to a column with high cardinality.
Why it's wrong here
Changing distribution keys requires table recreation.
- ✗
Modify the workload management (WLM) queue to increase concurrency.
Why it's wrong here
WLM affects concurrency, not disk usage.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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