- A
Redesign the partition key to ensure write traffic is evenly distributed across partitions.
Option A is correct because throttling with on-demand capacity often results from a hot partition caused by a single partition key. On-demand capacity handles total throughput but still has per-partition throughput limits. Redesigning the partition key to distribute writes evenly across partitions resolves the hotspot.
- B
Enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) to cache write requests.
Why wrong: Option B is wrong because DAX is an in-memory cache for reads, not writes.
- C
Switch to provisioned capacity and increase write capacity units to 10,000.
Why wrong: Option C is wrong because switching to provisioned capacity with 10,000 WCUs would still hit partition-level limits if the partition key design is poor.
- D
Pre-warm the table by writing dummy data before the campaign.
Why wrong: Option D is wrong because pre-warming does not affect per-partition throughput ceilings.
Avoiding Hot Partitions in DynamoDB On-Demand Tables
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of management and operations. 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 on-demand capacity for a mobile application. During a marketing campaign, write traffic spikes to 10,000 writes per second for 5 minutes. The application experiences throttling after the first minute. The DynamoDB table has a single partition key. What should be done to prevent throttling in future campaigns?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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
Redesign the partition key to ensure write traffic is evenly distributed across partitions.
Option A is correct because throttling with on-demand capacity often results from a hot partition caused by a single partition key. On-demand capacity handles total throughput but still has per-partition throughput limits. Redesigning the partition key to distribute writes evenly across partitions resolves the hotspot. Option B is wrong because DAX is an in-memory cache for reads, not writes. Option C is wrong because switching to provisioned capacity with 10,000 WCUs would still hit partition-level limits if the partition key design is poor. Option D is wrong because pre-warming does not affect per-partition throughput ceilings.
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.
- ✓
Redesign the partition key to ensure write traffic is evenly distributed across partitions.
Why this is correct
Option A is correct because throttling with on-demand capacity often results from a hot partition caused by a single partition key. On-demand capacity handles total throughput but still has per-partition throughput limits. Redesigning the partition key to distribute writes evenly across partitions resolves the hotspot.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) to cache write requests.
Why it's wrong here
Option B is wrong because DAX is an in-memory cache for reads, not writes.
- ✗
Switch to provisioned capacity and increase write capacity units to 10,000.
Why it's wrong here
Option C is wrong because switching to provisioned capacity with 10,000 WCUs would still hit partition-level limits if the partition key design is poor.
- ✗
Pre-warm the table by writing dummy data before the campaign.
Why it's wrong here
Option D is wrong because pre-warming does not affect per-partition throughput ceilings.
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 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.
Visual reference
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DBS-C01 question test?
Management and Operations — This question tests Management and Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Redesign the partition key to ensure write traffic is evenly distributed across partitions. — Option A is correct because throttling with on-demand capacity often results from a hot partition caused by a single partition key. On-demand capacity handles total throughput but still has per-partition throughput limits. Redesigning the partition key to distribute writes evenly across partitions resolves the hotspot. Option B is wrong because DAX is an in-memory cache for reads, not writes. Option C is wrong because switching to provisioned capacity with 10,000 WCUs would still hit partition-level limits if the partition key design is poor. Option D is wrong because pre-warming does not affect per-partition throughput ceilings.
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: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
3 more ways this is tested on DBS-C01
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 with On-Demand capacity for a gaming application. During a new game launch, write traffic spikes 10x normal for 30 minutes. Some write requests receive ProvisionedThroughputExceeded exceptions. What is the MOST likely cause and solution?
hard- ✓ A.The partition key is not distributing writes evenly, causing a hot partition. Redesign the partition key for uniform access.
- B.On-Demand capacity cannot handle sudden spikes. Switch to Provisioned capacity with auto scaling.
- C.DynamoDB Streams is enabled, causing additional write throttling. Disable streams.
- D.The table has a global secondary index with a different partition key that is unevenly accessed. Remove the GSI.
Why A: On-Demand capacity can handle spikes but has per-partition throughput limits. If a hot partition exists, writes to that partition may exceed its limit. Option A is correct because uneven partition keys cause throttling. Option B is incorrect because On-Demand does not have table-level limits. Option C is not the primary cause. Option D is incorrect as GSI writes also consume write capacity.
Variation 2. A company has an Amazon DynamoDB table with on-demand capacity mode. They notice that write requests are being throttled during peak hours. The table has a global secondary index (GSI) that is also throttled. Which action should the database specialist take to resolve the throttling?
hard- ✓ A.Review the partition key design and consider adding a suffix to distribute writes more evenly.
- B.Enable DynamoDB Streams to offload write operations.
- C.Switch to provisioned capacity mode and increase write capacity units (WCU).
- D.Increase the write capacity of the GSI by updating the table's provisioned throughput.
Why A: The throttling of both the base table and the GSI during peak hours indicates a hot partition caused by an uneven distribution of write activity. Reviewing the partition key design and adding a suffix to distribute writes more evenly is the correct action because it addresses the root cause: DynamoDB's on-demand mode automatically scales capacity, but it cannot overcome a skewed access pattern that overloads a single partition. By spreading writes across more partitions, you eliminate the hot spot and prevent throttling without changing capacity mode.
Variation 3. A company uses Amazon DynamoDB with on-demand capacity mode for a critical application. During a marketing campaign, the application experienced throttled requests despite the on-demand mode. The table has a single partition key. The database specialist notices that the throttling occurs sporadically even though overall traffic is within limits. What is the most likely cause?
hard- A.The table's provisioned capacity is set too low.
- ✓ B.The table's partition key is causing a hot partition, leading to throttling on that partition.
- C.The table's auto scaling is not configured correctly.
- D.The application is exceeding the DynamoDB account-level throughput limits.
Why B: On-demand mode accommodates traffic spikes, but if a single partition key is used, all traffic goes to one partition. DynamoDB partitions data by partition key; a single hot key can throttle requests even if overall throughput is within limits. Provisioned capacity is not used. Auto scaling is not relevant. The partition limit is a hard limit.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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