- A
Configure DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) for product catalog queries with eventual consistency.
DAX provides low-latency eventually consistent reads for the catalog.
- B
Use Amazon ElastiCache for Redis to cache inventory data with strong consistency.
Why wrong: ElastiCache does not provide strong consistency across regions; adds complexity.
- C
Use DynamoDB transactions for all inventory operations.
Why wrong: Transactions are for atomicity, not global consistency across regions.
- D
Use DynamoDB Streams to replicate inventory changes to a separate table for reads.
Why wrong: Streams are for change data capture, not consistency.
- E
Enable DynamoDB global tables and use strongly consistent reads for inventory queries.
Global tables replicate data across regions; strong consistency ensures accurate inventory.
Quick Answer
The answer is to enable DynamoDB global tables for writes and use DAX for reads, specifically configuring strongly consistent reads for inventory queries and eventual consistency for product catalog reads. This design works because global tables handle multi-region replication for write-heavy inventory updates, ensuring strong consistency within each region when using strongly consistent reads, while DAX acts as an in-memory cache that can be set to return eventually consistent results for read-heavy catalog queries, reducing latency and cost. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of DynamoDB’s consistency models and how to combine global replication with caching to meet mixed workload requirements—a common trap is assuming DAX always provides strong consistency, but it defaults to eventual consistency unless explicitly configured otherwise. Memory tip: think of global tables as the “write bridge” across regions and DAX as the “read speedway” for cached data.
DBS-C01 Workload-Specific Database Design Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of workload-specific database design. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 designing a global e-commerce platform using Amazon DynamoDB. The platform must support strong consistency for inventory updates and eventual consistency for product catalog reads. Which TWO design patterns should the company implement to meet these consistency requirements?
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
Configure DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) for product catalog queries with eventual consistency.
Option A is correct because DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) is an in-memory cache that can be configured to return eventually consistent results for read-heavy workloads like product catalog queries, reducing read latency and cost while meeting the eventual consistency requirement. Option E is correct because DynamoDB global tables replicate data across regions, and using strongly consistent reads for inventory queries ensures that the most recent write is returned, which is critical for inventory accuracy.
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.
- ✓
Configure DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) for product catalog queries with eventual consistency.
Why this is correct
DAX provides low-latency eventually consistent reads for the catalog.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Amazon ElastiCache for Redis to cache inventory data with strong consistency.
Why it's wrong here
ElastiCache does not provide strong consistency across regions; adds complexity.
- ✗
Use DynamoDB transactions for all inventory operations.
Why it's wrong here
Transactions are for atomicity, not global consistency across regions.
- ✗
Use DynamoDB Streams to replicate inventory changes to a separate table for reads.
Why it's wrong here
Streams are for change data capture, not consistency.
- ✓
Enable DynamoDB global tables and use strongly consistent reads for inventory queries.
Why this is correct
Global tables replicate data across regions; strong consistency ensures accurate inventory.
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 assume DynamoDB transactions or Streams can provide strong consistency for reads, but transactions only guarantee atomic writes, and Streams are asynchronous, so neither meets the requirement for strongly consistent inventory reads.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DynamoDB's strongly consistent reads return the most recent write within one second, but they consume more read capacity units (RCUs) than eventually consistent reads. DAX caches query results and can be configured to serve eventually consistent data, reducing the load on DynamoDB tables. Global tables use multi-region replication with eventual consistency by default, but strongly consistent reads are supported only within a single region and require the `ConsistentRead` parameter set to true, which is critical for inventory accuracy in a global e-commerce platform.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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: Configure DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) for product catalog queries with eventual consistency. — Option A is correct because DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) is an in-memory cache that can be configured to return eventually consistent results for read-heavy workloads like product catalog queries, reducing read latency and cost while meeting the eventual consistency requirement. Option E is correct because DynamoDB global tables replicate data across regions, and using strongly consistent reads for inventory queries ensures that the most recent write is returned, which is critical for inventory accuracy.
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: Jun 24, 2026
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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