The answer is to change the distribution style of the tables to EVEN. This is correct because the COPY command distributes incoming data across slices based on the table’s distribution style; with a 4-node dc2.large cluster providing 8 slices, an uneven distribution creates bottlenecks where some slices handle far more data than others, slowing the load. Switching to EVEN distribution forces rows to be spread uniformly across all slices, maximizing parallelism and directly improving Redshift load performance. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of how distribution styles impact both load and query performance—a common trap is assuming KEY or ALL distribution is always better, but for bulk loads on small clusters with no clear join key, EVEN is optimal for speed. Memory tip: think “EVEN = Equal slices, Equal speed” for COPY-heavy workloads.
DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
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 data engineer is responsible for a data warehouse on Amazon Redshift that stores 5 TB of data. The engineer needs to load 50 GB of new data daily from Amazon S3 into Redshift. The current load process uses the COPY command and takes 2 hours, which is within the maintenance window. However, the engineer wants to optimize the load time and reduce the impact on concurrent queries. The engineer notices that the tables are not distributed evenly across the slices. The cluster has 4 nodes of dc2.large. Which approach will best improve load performance?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Change the distribution style of the tables to EVEN.
Option B is correct because the COPY command distributes data across slices based on the table's distribution style. With dc2.large nodes, each node has 2 slices, so a 4-node cluster has 8 slices. If tables are not distributed evenly, some slices handle more data, causing bottlenecks. Changing the distribution style to EVEN forces rows to be spread uniformly across all slices, maximizing parallelism during the COPY load and reducing load time.
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.
✗
Increase the cluster size to 8 nodes.
Why it's wrong here
Scaling up may improve performance but is costly and not the root cause.
✓
Change the distribution style of the tables to EVEN.
Why this is correct
EVEN distribution ensures each slice gets an equal amount of data, improving parallelism.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use GZIP compression on the S3 files.
Why it's wrong here
Compression reduces transfer time but doesn't solve uneven distribution.
✗
Add sort keys to the tables based on the load timestamp.
Why it's wrong here
Sort keys improve query performance, not load performance.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume adding more nodes (scaling out) always improves load performance, but the real bottleneck is slice-level data skew, which EVEN distribution directly fixes without additional cost.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Amazon Redshift, the COPY command loads data in parallel from S3 to compute nodes, with each slice processing a portion of the data. The distribution style (EVEN, KEY, ALL) determines how rows are assigned to slices. EVEN distribution uses a round-robin algorithm to ensure each slice receives approximately the same number of rows, which is optimal for bulk loads when no specific join or aggregation pattern is needed. Without EVEN distribution, skew can cause some slices to finish much later than others, extending the overall load time.
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 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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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: Change the distribution style of the tables to EVEN. — Option B is correct because the COPY command distributes data across slices based on the table's distribution style. With dc2.large nodes, each node has 2 slices, so a 4-node cluster has 8 slices. If tables are not distributed evenly, some slices handle more data, causing bottlenecks. Changing the distribution style to EVEN forces rows to be spread uniformly across all slices, maximizing parallelism during the COPY load and reducing load time.
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: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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