- A
KEY distribution on a column with high cardinality
Why wrong: Can still cause skew if distribution key is not well-distributed.
- B
AUTO distribution
Why wrong: Redshift decides, but may not always minimize skew.
- C
ALL distribution
Why wrong: Replicates table to all nodes, not suitable for large tables.
- D
EVEN distribution
Distributes rows evenly, ideal for preventing skew.
Question 1,638 of 1,786
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 company uses Amazon Redshift for data warehousing. The data engineer notices that query performance has degraded over time. The tables are frequently updated with new data, and the data engineer suspects that the distribution style is causing data skew. Which distribution style should the data engineer use to minimize data skew?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
✓
EVEN distribution
EVEN distribution (D) distributes rows across all slices in a round-robin fashion, ensuring each slice holds approximately the same number of rows. This eliminates data skew caused by uneven distribution keys, which is the suspected issue when query performance degrades over time with frequent updates. By avoiding any dependency on column values, EVEN distribution guarantees balanced data distribution regardless of data characteristics.
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.
- ✗
KEY distribution on a column with high cardinality
Why it's wrong here
Can still cause skew if distribution key is not well-distributed.
- ✗
AUTO distribution
Why it's wrong here
Redshift decides, but may not always minimize skew.
- ✗
ALL distribution
Why it's wrong here
Replicates table to all nodes, not suitable for large tables.
- ✓
EVEN distribution
Why this is correct
Distributes rows evenly, ideal for preventing skew.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
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 choose KEY distribution on a high-cardinality column (A) assuming it will balance data, but they overlook that high cardinality does not guarantee uniform distribution—skew can still occur if the column's values are not evenly distributed, which is a common misconception tested in the DEA-C01 exam.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Redshift distributes data across compute nodes using slices (each node has multiple slices). EVEN distribution assigns rows to slices in a round-robin manner, guaranteeing that each slice gets an equal number of rows, which is ideal for tables that are frequently updated and lack a natural distribution key. However, EVEN distribution can degrade performance for queries that involve joins or aggregations on specific columns, as it may require data redistribution across the network, but it is the safest choice to eliminate skew when the distribution key is unknown or problematic.
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.
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Data Store Management — study guide chapter
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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: EVEN distribution — EVEN distribution (D) distributes rows across all slices in a round-robin fashion, ensuring each slice holds approximately the same number of rows. This eliminates data skew caused by uneven distribution keys, which is the suspected issue when query performance degrades over time with frequent updates. By avoiding any dependency on column values, EVEN distribution guarantees balanced data distribution regardless of data characteristics.
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: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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