- A
Enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) to cache writes
Why wrong: DAX caches reads, not writes; writes still go to the table.
- B
Increase the provisioned write capacity units (WCU) to a higher value
Why wrong: Increasing WCU does not resolve hot partition issues caused by a single user_id.
- C
Change the table design to use only partition key 'user_id' and remove the sort key
Why wrong: Removing sort key would prevent storing multiple products per user, breaking the cart functionality.
- D
Enable DynamoDB Adaptive Capacity and ensure the table uses on-demand capacity mode
Adaptive capacity helps distribute traffic across partitions, and on-demand mode handles spikes.
Question 1,518 of 1,730
DBS-C01 Workload-Specific Database Design Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of workload-specific database design. 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.
An e-commerce platform uses Amazon DynamoDB for a shopping cart table with partition key 'user_id' and sort key 'product_id'. The table experiences throttled write requests during flash sales. The access pattern includes reading the entire cart at checkout. Which design change would improve write performance without changing the read pattern?
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 Adaptive Capacity and ensure the table uses on-demand capacity mode
Option D is correct because enabling DynamoDB Adaptive Capacity with on-demand capacity mode automatically scales write capacity to handle traffic spikes during flash sales without requiring manual provisioning. This eliminates throttling while preserving the existing table schema (partition key 'user_id' and sort key 'product_id'), so the read pattern of querying the entire cart by user_id remains unchanged.
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.
- ✗
Enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) to cache writes
Why it's wrong here
DAX caches reads, not writes; writes still go to the table.
- ✗
Increase the provisioned write capacity units (WCU) to a higher value
Why it's wrong here
Increasing WCU does not resolve hot partition issues caused by a single user_id.
- ✗
Change the table design to use only partition key 'user_id' and remove the sort key
Why it's wrong here
Removing sort key would prevent storing multiple products per user, breaking the cart functionality.
- ✓
Enable DynamoDB Adaptive Capacity and ensure the table uses on-demand capacity mode
Why this is correct
Adaptive capacity helps distribute traffic across partitions, and on-demand mode handles spikes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse DAX as a write accelerator or assume that simply increasing provisioned capacity is sufficient, overlooking that on-demand mode with adaptive capacity is the correct solution for unpredictable traffic spikes without schema changes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DynamoDB Adaptive Capacity automatically partitions hot keys across multiple internal partitions to handle skewed access patterns, but it works best with on-demand mode, which scales instantly without capacity planning. On-demand mode uses a 'pay-per-request' model where write requests are throttled only if they exceed the previous peak traffic by more than double in a short period, making it ideal for unpredictable flash sales. The table's existing schema with partition key 'user_id' and sort key 'product_id' supports efficient Query operations for reading the entire cart, and this design is unchanged.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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 DBS-C01 question test?
Workload-Specific Database Design — This question tests Workload-Specific Database Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable DynamoDB Adaptive Capacity and ensure the table uses on-demand capacity mode — Option D is correct because enabling DynamoDB Adaptive Capacity with on-demand capacity mode automatically scales write capacity to handle traffic spikes during flash sales without requiring manual provisioning. This eliminates throttling while preserving the existing table schema (partition key 'user_id' and sort key 'product_id'), so the read pattern of querying the entire cart by user_id remains unchanged.
What should I do if I get this DBS-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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