The correct answer is to re-evaluate the distribution style of the tables. Data skew in Amazon Redshift occurs when rows are unevenly distributed across node slices, causing some slices to process far more data than others and creating a bottleneck that degrades query performance. By adjusting the distribution style—choosing KEY for tables joined on a common column with high cardinality, or EVEN for tables that are large and not frequently joined—you can ensure a more even data distribution across all slices, directly mitigating the skew. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of how distribution styles impact workload parallelism; a common trap is confusing sorting (which optimizes compression and range-restricted scans) with distribution (which addresses data placement). Remember the mnemonic “SKEW = Style Key Even Works” to recall that fixing skew starts with the distribution style, not sorting or scaling.
DBS-C01 Management and Operations Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of management and operations. 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 is running Amazon Redshift for data warehousing. The data warehouse is used for complex analytical queries. Recently, query performance has degraded due to data skew. Which steps should be taken to address this issue?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Re-evaluate the distribution style of the tables.
Option B is correct because choosing an appropriate distribution style (e.g., KEY or EVEN) can reduce data skew and improve performance. Option A is wrong while sorting can help query performance, it does not directly address skew. Option C is wrong because adding more nodes may not resolve skew. Option D is wrong because compression reduces storage, not skew.
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.
✗
Apply sort keys on the skewed columns.
Why it's wrong here
Sort keys improve query performance but do not fix data distribution skew.
✗
Apply compression on the skewed columns.
Why it's wrong here
Compression reduces storage but does not affect data distribution.
✓
Re-evaluate the distribution style of the tables.
Why this is correct
Choosing the right distribution style can evenly distribute data across nodes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Increase the number of nodes in the cluster.
Why it's wrong here
Adding nodes may not fix skew if distribution is poor.
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 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 DBS-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.
Management and Operations — This question tests Management and Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Re-evaluate the distribution style of the tables. — Option B is correct because choosing an appropriate distribution style (e.g., KEY or EVEN) can reduce data skew and improve performance. Option A is wrong while sorting can help query performance, it does not directly address skew. Option C is wrong because adding more nodes may not resolve skew. Option D is wrong because compression reduces storage, not skew.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which DBS-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.
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This DBS-C01 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DBS-C01 exam.
Question Discussion
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