DBS-C01 Management and Operations Practice Question
A company is using Amazon DynamoDB for a gaming application. During a new game launch, write traffic spikes and some users receive 'ProvisionedThroughputExceededException' errors. The company wants to handle these spikes automatically and cost-effectively. What should be done?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often choose on-demand capacity mode (Option B) thinking it is always the best for unpredictable traffic, but the question emphasizes cost-effectiveness, and auto scaling provides a cheaper alternative for workloads with some predictability or sustained baseline traffic.
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
✓
Enable DynamoDB auto scaling with a target utilization of 70%.
DynamoDB auto scaling with a target utilization of 70% allows the table to automatically adjust provisioned write capacity in response to traffic spikes, handling the increased load without manual intervention. This approach is cost-effective as it scales down during low traffic periods, avoiding over-provisioning. The target utilization of 70% provides a buffer to absorb sudden spikes while maintaining performance.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Implement application-level retries with exponential backoff and a queue.
Why it's wrong here
Retries handle throttling but do not prevent it; queuing may introduce latency.
- ✗
Switch the table to on-demand capacity mode.
Why it's wrong here
On-demand mode can handle spikes but is more expensive for predictable traffic.
- ✗
Increase the provisioned write capacity to the expected peak.
Why it's wrong here
Manual adjustment is not automatic and may waste resources during low traffic.
- ✓
Enable DynamoDB auto scaling with a target utilization of 70%.
Why this is correct
Auto scaling automatically adjusts capacity to handle traffic spikes.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.