The answer is ReplicationLatency, the CloudWatch metric to monitor for DynamoDB global tables replication lag. This metric specifically measures the elapsed time in milliseconds between the last update on the source table and the corresponding update appearing on a replica table in another region, directly quantifying the delay you are observing. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of DynamoDB global tables’ asynchronous replication behavior and the specific metric that tracks its health, often appearing as a trap where candidates confuse it with throttling or latency metrics. A common pitfall is selecting SuccessfulRequestLatency, which measures API response times, not cross-region data propagation. To remember, think of the word “Replication” in the metric name—it directly signals cross-region data copying, while “Latency” captures the delay you are troubleshooting. A useful memory tip is “ReplicationLatency reveals the region relay lag.”
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 uses Amazon DynamoDB with global tables. They notice that changes made in one region are not appearing in another region after several minutes. Which CloudWatch metric should be monitored to check the replication lag?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
ReplicationLatency
Option C is correct because ReplicationLatency measures the time between the last update on the source table and the last update on the replica table. Option A is wrong because ThrottledRequests indicates throttling. Option B is wrong because ConsumedWriteCapacityUnits measures usage. Option D is wrong because SuccessfulRequestLatency measures request latency.
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.
✗
ConsumedWriteCapacityUnits
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. This metric indicates write capacity consumed, not replication delay.
✗
SuccessfulRequestLatency
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. This metric measures the time for successful requests, not replication.
✓
ReplicationLatency
Why this is correct
Correct. ReplicationLatency tracks the lag between regions for global tables.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
ThrottledRequests
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. ThrottledRequests measures number of throttled requests, not replication lag.
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: ReplicationLatency — Option C is correct because ReplicationLatency measures the time between the last update on the source table and the last update on the replica table. Option A is wrong because ThrottledRequests indicates throttling. Option B is wrong because ConsumedWriteCapacityUnits measures usage. Option D is wrong because SuccessfulRequestLatency measures request latency.
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 →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company uses Amazon DynamoDB global tables for a multi-region application. They notice that writes in one region are not appearing in another region after several minutes. What should they check first?
medium
✓ A.Check the ReplicationLatency metric in Amazon CloudWatch
B.Verify that auto scaling is configured identically in both regions
C.Ensure DynamoDB Streams are enabled on the table
D.Check the table size in both regions
Why A: Option C is correct because ReplicationLatency metric shows delay between regions. Option A is wrong because Streams are used for replication; check the metric first. Option B is wrong because auto scaling affects capacity, not replication. Option D is wrong because table size doesn't directly cause replication delay.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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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.
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