- A
Run VACUUM and ANALYZE commands on all tables
VACUUM reclaims space and sorts rows; ANALYZE updates statistics for the optimizer.
- B
Run VACUUM FULL on all tables
Why wrong: VACUUM FULL locks tables and is resource-intensive.
- C
Run REINDEX on all tables
Why wrong: Redshift uses sort keys, not B-tree indexes.
- D
Run ALTER TABLE APPEND to reorganize data
Why wrong: ALTER TABLE APPEND moves data between tables.
Question 631 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 is using Amazon Redshift for analytics. The cluster has 20 nodes and the data is evenly distributed. Query performance has degraded over time. The data engineer suspects that table maintenance is needed. Which set of operations should be performed to improve query performance?
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
✓
Run VACUUM and ANALYZE commands on all tables
Over time, Amazon Redshift tables accumulate deleted rows and unsorted data due to UPDATE and DELETE operations, which degrades query performance. Running VACUUM reclaims space and re-sorts data according to the table's sort key, while ANALYZE updates table statistics used by the query optimizer. Together, these operations restore data layout and enable efficient query planning, directly addressing the performance degradation.
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.
- ✓
Run VACUUM and ANALYZE commands on all tables
Why this is correct
VACUUM reclaims space and sorts rows; ANALYZE updates statistics for the optimizer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Run VACUUM FULL on all tables
Why it's wrong here
VACUUM FULL locks tables and is resource-intensive.
- ✗
Run REINDEX on all tables
Why it's wrong here
Redshift uses sort keys, not B-tree indexes.
- ✗
Run ALTER TABLE APPEND to reorganize data
Why it's wrong here
ALTER TABLE APPEND moves data between tables.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates familiar with PostgreSQL may mistakenly apply PostgreSQL-specific maintenance commands like VACUUM FULL or REINDEX, not realizing that Amazon Redshift is based on a different architecture (columnar storage, no indexes) and only supports VACUUM and ANALYZE for table maintenance.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Amazon Redshift, VACUUM operates in two phases: first it sorts rows according to the sort key (if a compound or interleaved sort key is defined), then it merges unsorted regions and reclaims space from deleted rows. ANALYZE collects column-level statistics such as min/max values, null counts, and data distribution, which the query optimizer uses to choose join types, distribution styles, and sort order. A common real-world scenario is that after heavy batch loads or frequent deletes, query performance can degrade by 50% or more until VACUUM and ANALYZE are run.
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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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: Run VACUUM and ANALYZE commands on all tables — Over time, Amazon Redshift tables accumulate deleted rows and unsorted data due to UPDATE and DELETE operations, which degrades query performance. Running VACUUM reclaims space and re-sorts data according to the table's sort key, while ANALYZE updates table statistics used by the query optimizer. Together, these operations restore data layout and enable efficient query planning, directly addressing the performance degradation.
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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