- A
Switch to provisioned capacity with a high fixed read/write capacity.
Why wrong: Fixed capacity would either cause throttling during spikes or be wasteful.
- B
Implement DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) to cache read requests.
Why wrong: DAX helps with read performance but does not prevent write throttling.
- C
Purchase DynamoDB reserved capacity.
Why wrong: Reserved capacity provides discounts, not dynamic scaling.
- D
Enable DynamoDB Auto Scaling for the table.
Auto Scaling adjusts capacity automatically to handle spikes and minimize cost.
Question 1,743 of 1,786
DynamoDB Auto Scaling — Handle Traffic Spikes Cost-Effectively | AWS Data Engineer Associate Explained
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. 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 company uses Amazon DynamoDB to store session data for a web application. The application experiences occasional spikes in traffic, causing throttling on the table. The data engineer needs to implement a solution that handles traffic spikes without manual intervention and minimizes cost. What should the data engineer do?
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
✓
Enable DynamoDB Auto Scaling for the table.
DynamoDB Auto Scaling (option D) automatically adjusts the provisioned read and write capacity based on actual traffic patterns, using CloudWatch alarms and the Application Auto Scaling service. This handles traffic spikes without manual intervention and minimizes cost by scaling down during low traffic periods, making it the ideal solution for variable workloads like session data.
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.
- ✗
Switch to provisioned capacity with a high fixed read/write capacity.
Why it's wrong here
Fixed capacity would either cause throttling during spikes or be wasteful.
- ✗
Implement DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) to cache read requests.
Why it's wrong here
DAX helps with read performance but does not prevent write throttling.
- ✗
Purchase DynamoDB reserved capacity.
Why it's wrong here
Reserved capacity provides discounts, not dynamic scaling.
- ✓
Enable DynamoDB Auto Scaling for the table.
Why this is correct
Auto Scaling adjusts capacity automatically to handle spikes and minimize cost.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse caching (DAX) as a solution for all throttling, but DAX only addresses read-side throttling and does not help with write throttling, which is critical for session data that is frequently updated.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DynamoDB Auto Scaling uses a target utilization policy (e.g., 70% of provisioned capacity) and scales capacity in proportion to the actual consumed capacity, with a minimum and maximum limit defined by the user. Under the hood, it leverages the Application Auto Scaling API to register scalable targets and scaling policies, which trigger CloudWatch alarms based on consumed capacity metrics. In a real-world scenario, session data often exhibits diurnal patterns with sudden spikes (e.g., flash sales), and Auto Scaling can scale up within minutes, but it is not instantaneous—there is a brief lag where throttling could still occur if the spike is extremely sharp, which is why some designs combine it with exponential backoff and retries.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DEA-C01 question test?
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: Enable DynamoDB Auto Scaling for the table. — DynamoDB Auto Scaling (option D) automatically adjusts the provisioned read and write capacity based on actual traffic patterns, using CloudWatch alarms and the Application Auto Scaling service. This handles traffic spikes without manual intervention and minimizes cost by scaling down during low traffic periods, making it the ideal solution for variable workloads like session data.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on DEA-C01
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 uses Amazon DynamoDB to store session data for a web application. The application experiences sudden spikes in traffic, causing occasional throttling errors. The data engineer needs to handle these spikes without over-provisioning capacity. What is the MOST cost-effective solution?
easy- A.Set up a TTL (Time to Live) attribute to automatically delete old session data.
- B.Enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) to cache read requests.
- ✓ C.Configure DynamoDB Auto Scaling to automatically adjust provisioned capacity.
- D.Switch to DynamoDB on-demand mode.
Why C: DynamoDB Auto Scaling (option C) is the most cost-effective solution because it automatically adjusts the provisioned read/write capacity based on actual traffic patterns, handling sudden spikes without manual intervention or over-provisioning. This avoids paying for unused capacity during low-traffic periods while still accommodating bursts within the configured limits.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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