DBS-C01 Management and Operations Practice Question
A company uses Amazon DynamoDB to store session data for a web application. The application is experiencing occasional throttling (ProvisionedThroughputExceededException) during peak hours. The DynamoDB table has on-demand capacity mode. Which combination of steps should be taken to resolve the issue?
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
✓
Review the partition key design and consider using a write sharding pattern to distribute traffic evenly.
Even with on-demand capacity, DynamoDB applies a per-partition throughput limit (3,000 RCU or 1,000 WCU). Throttling occurs when traffic is unevenly distributed across partitions due to a suboptimal partition key. Reviewing the partition key and applying a write sharding pattern (e.g., adding a random suffix) distributes writes evenly, preventing throttling. Option B (DAX) only reduces read load and does not fix write throttling. Option C (auto scaling) is for provisioned mode, not on-demand. Option D (switching to provisioned) does not resolve uneven partition access; proper key design is still needed.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Review the partition key design and consider using a write sharding pattern to distribute traffic evenly.
Why this is correct
A hot partition causes throttling even in on-demand mode; distributing the writes across partitions resolves the issue.
- ✗
Enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) to cache the frequently accessed items.
Why it's wrong here
DAX reduces read load but does not prevent throttling from writes or hot partitions.
- ✗
Enable auto scaling for the table and set minimum and maximum capacity.
Why it's wrong here
Auto scaling is used for provisioned capacity mode, not on-demand.
- ✗
Switch to provisioned capacity and increase the read and write capacity units.
Why it's wrong here
On-demand tables do not have a fixed capacity; throttling is due to partition hot spots, not capacity limits.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 1,663 original DBS-C01 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.