The answer is to configure workload management (WLM) to limit concurrent queries, optimize distribution and sort keys, and add nodes to increase memory. When troubleshooting Amazon Redshift slow queries and memory pressure, WLM queues directly reduce memory contention by capping how many queries run simultaneously, preventing any single query from exhausting available resources. Optimizing distkeys and sortkeys minimizes data movement across slices, which cuts query time and memory overhead, while adding nodes scales the cluster’s total RAM. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that memory issues are rarely solved by VACUUM (which reclaims disk space) or by scaling up nodes instead of out; the common trap is confusing disk cleanup with memory management. Remember the mnemonic “WLM, Keys, Nodes” to recall the three correct steps: limit concurrency, reduce data shuffle, and add memory.
DBS-C01 Monitoring and Troubleshooting Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring and troubleshooting. 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 database administrator notices that some queries are slow and the system is running out of memory. Which THREE steps should the administrator take to improve performance?
Increase the node size (scale up) to get more memory per node
Why wrong: Scale up is an option but scale out is also valid; however, the question asks for three steps, and scale up is not listed as a separate choice.
B
Optimize the table design by choosing appropriate distkeys and sortkeys
Better data distribution reduces memory usage during joins.
C
Add more nodes to the cluster to increase total memory
More nodes provide more memory for query processing.
D
Run the VACUUM command to reclaim space from deleted rows
Why wrong: Vacuum does not free memory.
E
Configure workload management (WLM) to limit the number of concurrent queries
Limiting concurrency reduces memory pressure per query.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Optimize the table design by choosing appropriate distkeys and sortkeys
Option A is correct because adding nodes increases memory. Option B is correct because distkey and sortkey optimization reduces data movement. Option C is correct because WLM queues can limit concurrency to reduce memory contention. Option D is incorrect because vacuum is for disk space, not memory. Option E is incorrect because increasing node count (scale out) is better than scale up for memory.
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 node size (scale up) to get more memory per node
Why it's wrong here
Scale up is an option but scale out is also valid; however, the question asks for three steps, and scale up is not listed as a separate choice.
✓
Optimize the table design by choosing appropriate distkeys and sortkeys
Why this is correct
Better data distribution reduces memory usage during joins.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Add more nodes to the cluster to increase total memory
Why this is correct
More nodes provide more memory for query processing.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Run the VACUUM command to reclaim space from deleted rows
Why it's wrong here
Vacuum does not free memory.
✓
Configure workload management (WLM) to limit the number of concurrent queries
Why this is correct
Limiting concurrency reduces memory pressure per query.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
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.
Monitoring and Troubleshooting — This question tests Monitoring and Troubleshooting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Optimize the table design by choosing appropriate distkeys and sortkeys — Option A is correct because adding nodes increases memory. Option B is correct because distkey and sortkey optimization reduces data movement. Option C is correct because WLM queues can limit concurrency to reduce memory contention. Option D is incorrect because vacuum is for disk space, not memory. Option E is incorrect because increasing node count (scale out) is better than scale up for memory.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.