- A
Use DynamoDB Streams to export logs to Amazon S3 and query with Amazon Athena.
Streams capture data before deletion, and Athena can query S3 data cost-effectively.
- B
Disable TTL and use a scheduled Lambda function to archive logs to Amazon S3.
Why wrong: Disabling TTL would cause uncontrolled growth.
- C
Increase the TTL to 30 days and query the logs directly in DynamoDB.
Why wrong: Keeping logs in DynamoDB for 30 days is expensive for analytics.
- D
Use AWS Glue to crawl DynamoDB tables and create a data catalog for Athena queries.
Why wrong: Glue can crawl DynamoDB but queries would still read from DynamoDB, incurring read costs.
Question 121 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.
A company uses Amazon DynamoDB to store application logs. The logs have a TTL of 7 days. The operations team needs to run ad-hoc analytical queries on logs older than 7 days, which are automatically deleted by TTL. Which solution should the team implement to retain and analyze old logs?
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
✓
Use DynamoDB Streams to export logs to Amazon S3 and query with Amazon Athena.
Option A is correct because DynamoDB Streams can capture item deletions (including TTL-based deletions) and export them to Amazon S3. Once the logs are in S3, Amazon Athena can run ad-hoc SQL queries directly on the data, providing a cost-effective and serverless analytical solution for logs older than 7 days.
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.
- ✓
Use DynamoDB Streams to export logs to Amazon S3 and query with Amazon Athena.
Why this is correct
Streams capture data before deletion, and Athena can query S3 data cost-effectively.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Disable TTL and use a scheduled Lambda function to archive logs to Amazon S3.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling TTL would cause uncontrolled growth.
- ✗
Increase the TTL to 30 days and query the logs directly in DynamoDB.
Why it's wrong here
Keeping logs in DynamoDB for 30 days is expensive for analytics.
- ✗
Use AWS Glue to crawl DynamoDB tables and create a data catalog for Athena queries.
Why it's wrong here
Glue can crawl DynamoDB but queries would still read from DynamoDB, incurring read costs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think AWS Glue can directly query DynamoDB for historical analysis, but Glue is an ETL service that crawls existing data, not a query engine for deleted items, and TTL-deleted logs are permanently removed from DynamoDB.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DynamoDB Streams captures item-level changes in near real-time, including TTL-based deletions, and can be configured to export to S3 via AWS Lambda or DynamoDB's native export to S3 feature. Athena uses PrestoDB under the hood to query data in S3, supporting formats like Parquet or JSON, and charges only per query scanned, making it ideal for infrequent analytical workloads. A common real-world scenario is using this pattern to maintain a hot tier (DynamoDB) for recent data and a cold tier (S3/Athena) for historical analysis.
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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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: Use DynamoDB Streams to export logs to Amazon S3 and query with Amazon Athena. — Option A is correct because DynamoDB Streams can capture item deletions (including TTL-based deletions) and export them to Amazon S3. Once the logs are in S3, Amazon Athena can run ad-hoc SQL queries directly on the data, providing a cost-effective and serverless analytical solution for logs older than 7 days.
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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