The answer is that DynamoDB Streams is not enabled on the table. Global Tables rely entirely on DynamoDB Streams to capture item-level changes and replicate them across regions; without streams enabled, no write operations from one region will ever propagate to another, which explains why a write to us-east-1 remains invisible in eu-west-1 even after several seconds. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding that Global Tables are built on top of DynamoDB Streams and use last writer wins (LWW) conflict resolution, but replication simply cannot occur if the stream is disabled. A common trap is confusing eventual consistency delays with a complete replication failure—strong consistent reads are not supported for Global Tables, but that would cause an error, not a delay. Remember the memory tip: "No stream, no team"—without DynamoDB Streams, your global table regions cannot work together.
DBS-C01 Monitoring and Troubleshooting Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring and troubleshooting. 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 uses Amazon DynamoDB Global Tables with strong consistent reads. They notice that a write to us-east-1 is not visible in eu-west-1 after several seconds. Which configuration setting is MOST likely causing this behavior?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
DynamoDB Streams is not enabled on the table
Option A is correct because Global Tables use last writer wins (LWW) conflict resolution by default; if the application writes to both regions simultaneously, the latest write from the region with the highest timestamp wins, but replication is typically sub-second. However, if the 'ReplicationGroup' is misconfigured, replication can be delayed. But the question mentions strong consistency reads, which are not supported for Global Tables (they support eventual consistency only). Actually, strong consistency reads are not available for Global Tables; using them would cause an error. However, the scenario says they notice a delay, which is expected for eventual consistency. Option A is wrong: strong consistency reads are not supported for Global Tables. Option B is correct: strong consistency reads are not supported, but the scenario says they are using them; this would cause an error, not delay. Option C: DynamoDB Streams must be enabled for Global Tables; if disabled, writes would not replicate at all. Option D: Auto Scaling does not affect replication. Given the options, the most likely cause is that DynamoDB Streams is not enabled on the table, which would prevent replication entirely. But the question says 'not visible after several seconds', which suggests eventual consistency delay. Actually, the correct answer is that Global Tables only support eventual consistency, so strong consistency reads are not possible; but the question says they are using them, which might be a misconfiguration. However, typical exam: strong consistency reads on Global Tables are not supported; using them would cause an error, not a delay. So Option B is plausible: they might have requested strong consistency reads on a global table, which would fail. But the scenario says they notice a delay, not an error. I think the intended answer is that Global Tables rely on DynamoDB Streams; if streams are disabled, writes won't replicate. So Option C. Let me re-evaluate: DynamoDB Streams must be enabled for the table to be used in Global Tables. If streams are disabled, writes will not be replicated. That matches the symptom: writes to us-east-1 are not visible in eu-west-1. Option A: LWW is default, but it doesn't cause delay. Option B: Strong consistency reads are not supported for Global Tables, but the scenario says they are using them; it's unclear if that causes delay or error. Option D: Auto Scaling does not affect replication. So Option C is most likely.
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.
✓
DynamoDB Streams is not enabled on the table
Why this is correct
Global Tables require DynamoDB Streams to replicate writes; without it, replication does not occur.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Auto Scaling is configured for write capacity
Why it's wrong here
Auto Scaling does not affect replication latency.
✗
Last writer wins (LWW) conflict resolution is disabled
Why it's wrong here
LWW is always enabled for Global Tables and does not cause write visibility delays.
✗
Strongly consistent reads are used on a global table
Why it's wrong here
Strongly consistent reads are not supported on Global Tables; attempting them would cause an error, not a delay.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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: DynamoDB Streams is not enabled on the table — Option A is correct because Global Tables use last writer wins (LWW) conflict resolution by default; if the application writes to both regions simultaneously, the latest write from the region with the highest timestamp wins, but replication is typically sub-second. However, if the 'ReplicationGroup' is misconfigured, replication can be delayed. But the question mentions strong consistency reads, which are not supported for Global Tables (they support eventual consistency only). Actually, strong consistency reads are not available for Global Tables; using them would cause an error. However, the scenario says they notice a delay, which is expected for eventual consistency. Option A is wrong: strong consistency reads are not supported for Global Tables. Option B is correct: strong consistency reads are not supported, but the scenario says they are using them; this would cause an error, not delay. Option C: DynamoDB Streams must be enabled for Global Tables; if disabled, writes would not replicate at all. Option D: Auto Scaling does not affect replication. Given the options, the most likely cause is that DynamoDB Streams is not enabled on the table, which would prevent replication entirely. But the question says 'not visible after several seconds', which suggests eventual consistency delay. Actually, the correct answer is that Global Tables only support eventual consistency, so strong consistency reads are not possible; but the question says they are using them, which might be a misconfiguration. However, typical exam: strong consistency reads on Global Tables are not supported; using them would cause an error, not a delay. So Option B is plausible: they might have requested strong consistency reads on a global table, which would fail. But the scenario says they notice a delay, not an error. I think the intended answer is that Global Tables rely on DynamoDB Streams; if streams are disabled, writes won't replicate. So Option C. Let me re-evaluate: DynamoDB Streams must be enabled for the table to be used in Global Tables. If streams are disabled, writes will not be replicated. That matches the symptom: writes to us-east-1 are not visible in eu-west-1. Option A: LWW is default, but it doesn't cause delay. Option B: Strong consistency reads are not supported for Global Tables, but the scenario says they are using them; it's unclear if that causes delay or error. Option D: Auto Scaling does not affect replication. So Option C is most likely.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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