- A
Perform a deep copy to re-sort and reclaim space.
Why wrong: Deep copy reorganizes data but does not increase allocated storage.
- B
Run the VACUUM command to reclaim space from deleted rows.
Why wrong: VACUUM can free some space but may not be sufficient if the cluster is 90% full.
- C
Resize the cluster to a larger node type, such as dc2.large to ds2.xlarge, or add more nodes.
Resizing increases the total storage capacity, resolving the disk full issue.
- D
Unload old data to Amazon S3 and delete from the cluster.
Why wrong: Unloading data to S3 does not automatically free space; the data must be deleted and VACUUM run, which is not immediate.
Question 1,266 of 1,730
Fixing Redshift Out-of-Disk Space by Scaling Node Type or Count
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of management and operations. 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 has an Amazon Redshift cluster with two dc2.large nodes. The cluster is used for daily ETL jobs and reporting. The operations team receives an alert that the cluster's disk space is 90% full. The ETL jobs are failing with 'disk full' errors. The team needs to resolve the issue quickly with minimal downtime. Which action should be taken?
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
✓
Resize the cluster to a larger node type, such as dc2.large to ds2.xlarge, or add more nodes.
Option C is correct because resizing the cluster to a larger node type or adding more nodes increases the total storage capacity, directly addressing the disk full issue. Option A is wrong because a deep copy reorganizes data but does not increase storage capacity. Option B is wrong because VACUUM reclaims space from deleted rows but may not free enough space when the cluster is already 90% full. Option D is wrong because unloading data to S3 removes data from the cluster only if deleted, but the statement does not include deletion; even if deleted, the space is not reclaimed until VACUUM.
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.
- ✗
Perform a deep copy to re-sort and reclaim space.
Why it's wrong here
Deep copy reorganizes data but does not increase allocated storage.
- ✗
Run the VACUUM command to reclaim space from deleted rows.
Why it's wrong here
VACUUM can free some space but may not be sufficient if the cluster is 90% full.
- ✓
Resize the cluster to a larger node type, such as dc2.large to ds2.xlarge, or add more nodes.
Why this is correct
Resizing increases the total storage capacity, resolving the disk full issue.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Unload old data to Amazon S3 and delete from the cluster.
Why it's wrong here
Unloading data to S3 does not automatically free space; the data must be deleted and VACUUM run, which is not immediate.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Visual reference
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.
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: Resize the cluster to a larger node type, such as dc2.large to ds2.xlarge, or add more nodes. — Option C is correct because resizing the cluster to a larger node type or adding more nodes increases the total storage capacity, directly addressing the disk full issue. Option A is wrong because a deep copy reorganizes data but does not increase storage capacity. Option B is wrong because VACUUM reclaims space from deleted rows but may not free enough space when the cluster is already 90% full. Option D is wrong because unloading data to S3 removes data from the cluster only if deleted, but the statement does not include deletion; even if deleted, the space is not reclaimed until VACUUM.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
2 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 has an Amazon Redshift cluster with a single node. The cluster is used for reporting. Recently, queries have become slow, and the cluster's disk space is 80% full. Which action should be taken to improve query performance and manage storage?
medium- ✓ A.Resize the cluster to include additional compute nodes.
- B.Enable compression on all columns using the ENCODE AUTO option.
- C.Modify the table's distribution style to DISTSTYLE ALL for all tables.
- D.Run the VACUUM command to reclaim space from deleted rows.
Why A: Option A is correct because resizing the cluster to add compute nodes distributes data and workload across more nodes, improving query performance and increasing storage capacity. Option B is wrong because enabling compression (ENCODE AUTO) can reduce storage space but does not directly address the performance bottleneck caused by high disk usage on a single node; it also is not a quick fix for existing data. Option C is wrong because changing distribution style to ALL replicates all data to every node, which actually increases storage consumption and may worsen performance on a single-node cluster. Option D is wrong because running VACUUM reclaims space from deleted rows, but the cluster is 80% full and VACUUM does not add new storage capacity; it may provide temporary relief but not a long-term solution for performance.
Variation 2. A company is running an Amazon Redshift cluster with a single node. They need to improve query performance for large analytical workloads. Which action would provide the most immediate performance improvement?
medium- A.Distribute the data across all slices.
- B.Apply compression encodings to all columns.
- ✓ C.Increase the number of nodes in the cluster.
- D.Run the VACUUM command to reclaim space.
Why C: Option C is correct because adding more nodes to the cluster distributes the workload and improves parallelism. Option A is wrong because using a single node, distributing data across slices is limited. Option B is wrong because compression is already used typically. Option D is wrong because VACUUM reclaims space but does not significantly improve performance for large workloads.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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