- A
Switch the DynamoDB table from on-demand to provisioned capacity with a high write capacity unit (WCU) value.
Why wrong: Switching to provisioned capacity is unnecessary; on-demand mode can handle the load if throttling is managed properly. This does not address the root cause.
- B
Reduce the Lambda batch size to 25 and implement exponential backoff with jitter in the Lambda code.
Reducing batch size and adding exponential backoff directly reduces the write rate and adds retry logic, mitigating throttling. This is the best approach.
- C
Increase the number of Kinesis shards to 20 to reduce the load per shard.
Why wrong: Increasing shards would increase the number of concurrent Lambda invocations, further increasing write pressure on DynamoDB.
- D
Increase the Lambda function's reserved concurrency to allow more parallel executions.
Why wrong: Increasing reserved concurrency would allow more parallel executions, worsening the throttling issue.
DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data operations and support. 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 company uses Amazon Kinesis Data Streams to ingest clickstream data. The data is consumed by an AWS Lambda function that processes each record and writes to an Amazon DynamoDB table. Recently, the Lambda function has been failing with 'ProvisionedThroughputExceededException' from DynamoDB. The Lambda function uses the AWS SDK to batch write items in batches of 25. The DynamoDB table has on-demand capacity mode. The stream has 10 shards, and the Lambda function is configured with a batch size of 100 and 5 concurrent invocations per shard. What step should the team take to resolve the issue?
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
Reduce the Lambda batch size to 25 and implement exponential backoff with jitter in the Lambda code.
The correct answer is B. The issue is DynamoDB throttling due to high write traffic from Lambda. The DynamoDB table is on-demand, which can throttle if bursts exceed sustained limits. Reducing the Lambda batch size from 100 to 25 decreases the number of records processed per invocation, lowering the instantaneous write rate. Implementing exponential backoff with jitter in the Lambda code allows retries on throttled requests, making the system more resilient. Option A is not required because on-demand mode automatically scales, and switching to provisioned can be costly. Option C is incorrect because increasing shards would increase parallelism and worsen throttling. Option D is incorrect because increasing concurrency would also increase write pressure on DynamoDB.
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 the DynamoDB table from on-demand to provisioned capacity with a high write capacity unit (WCU) value.
Why it's wrong here
Switching to provisioned capacity is unnecessary; on-demand mode can handle the load if throttling is managed properly. This does not address the root cause.
- ✓
Reduce the Lambda batch size to 25 and implement exponential backoff with jitter in the Lambda code.
Why this is correct
Reducing batch size and adding exponential backoff directly reduces the write rate and adds retry logic, mitigating throttling. This is the best approach.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Increase the number of Kinesis shards to 20 to reduce the load per shard.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing shards would increase the number of concurrent Lambda invocations, further increasing write pressure on DynamoDB.
- ✗
Increase the Lambda function's reserved concurrency to allow more parallel executions.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing reserved concurrency would allow more parallel executions, worsening the throttling issue.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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
How to think about this question
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.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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
Questions learners often ask
What does this DEA-C01 question test?
Data Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Reduce the Lambda batch size to 25 and implement exponential backoff with jitter in the Lambda code. — The correct answer is B. The issue is DynamoDB throttling due to high write traffic from Lambda. The DynamoDB table is on-demand, which can throttle if bursts exceed sustained limits. Reducing the Lambda batch size from 100 to 25 decreases the number of records processed per invocation, lowering the instantaneous write rate. Implementing exponential backoff with jitter in the Lambda code allows retries on throttled requests, making the system more resilient. Option A is not required because on-demand mode automatically scales, and switching to provisioned can be costly. Option C is incorrect because increasing shards would increase parallelism and worsen throttling. Option D is incorrect because increasing concurrency would also increase write pressure on DynamoDB.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
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.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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