- A
Use Redshift Spectrum to offload historical data to Amazon S3 and query it in place.
Spectrum queries data in S3, reducing cluster storage and allowing faster queries on hot data.
- B
Change the distribution style of large tables to DISTSTYLE ALL.
Why wrong: DISTSTYLE ALL increases storage consumption by replicating data.
- C
Migrate the cluster to Dense Compute node types.
Why wrong: RA3 nodes already have managed storage; Dense Compute nodes are not an upgrade.
- D
Enable concurrency scaling to handle more concurrent queries.
Why wrong: Concurrency scaling adds compute but does not reduce storage utilization.
Question 1,527 of 1,786
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 company runs an Amazon Redshift cluster with 10 RA3 nodes. The data warehouse stores 50 TB of data. The company notices that queries are slow and the cluster's storage utilization is high. The data engineer needs to improve query performance and reduce storage costs without changing the cluster's node count. Which action should the engineer take?
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
✓
Use Redshift Spectrum to offload historical data to Amazon S3 and query it in place.
Redshift Spectrum allows you to query data directly from Amazon S3 without loading it into the cluster. By offloading historical or less-frequently accessed data to S3, you reduce the storage utilization on the RA3 nodes, which frees up managed storage and can improve query performance. This approach also lowers storage costs because S3 is cheaper than Redshift managed storage, and it does not change the node count.
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.
- ✓
Use Redshift Spectrum to offload historical data to Amazon S3 and query it in place.
Why this is correct
Spectrum queries data in S3, reducing cluster storage and allowing faster queries on hot data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Change the distribution style of large tables to DISTSTYLE ALL.
Why it's wrong here
DISTSTYLE ALL increases storage consumption by replicating data.
- ✗
Migrate the cluster to Dense Compute node types.
Why it's wrong here
RA3 nodes already have managed storage; Dense Compute nodes are not an upgrade.
- ✗
Enable concurrency scaling to handle more concurrent queries.
Why it's wrong here
Concurrency scaling adds compute but does not reduce storage utilization.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse concurrency scaling (which improves query throughput) with storage optimization, or they assume that changing distribution styles (like DISTSTYLE ALL) will always improve performance, ignoring the storage cost impact in a high-utilization scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
RA3 nodes separate compute and storage, using managed storage for data and local cache for hot data. Redshift Spectrum leverages the same separation by pushing down predicate filtering and aggregation to the S3 layer via the Redshift Spectrum engine, which uses a massively parallel processing (MPP) architecture to scan data in place. This is particularly effective for historical data that is rarely updated, as it avoids the cost of maintaining the data in managed storage while still allowing full SQL access.
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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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: Use Redshift Spectrum to offload historical data to Amazon S3 and query it in place. — Redshift Spectrum allows you to query data directly from Amazon S3 without loading it into the cluster. By offloading historical or less-frequently accessed data to S3, you reduce the storage utilization on the RA3 nodes, which frees up managed storage and can improve query performance. This approach also lowers storage costs because S3 is cheaper than Redshift managed storage, and it does not change the node count.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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