DBS-C01 Workload-Specific Database Design Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": "dynamodb:PutItem",
"Resource": "arn:aws:dynamodb:us-east-1:123456789012:table/Orders"
},
{
"Effect": "Deny",
"Action": "dynamodb:GetItem",
"Resource": "arn:aws:dynamodb:us-east-1:123456789012:table/Orders"
}
]
}Refer to the exhibit. An IAM policy is attached to an IAM role used by a Lambda function that writes to a DynamoDB table. The function also needs to read items from the table. What is the outcome of this policy?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently assume a single Allow statement grants all actions on a resource, overlooking that an explicit Deny for a specific action will block that action even if other actions are allowed.
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
✓
The Lambda function can write items but cannot read items
The IAM policy includes an explicit Deny for the `dynamodb:GetItem` action on the table, which overrides any Allow statements due to the explicit deny evaluation logic in AWS IAM. Since the Lambda function assumes a role with this policy, it is denied read access while the Allow for `dynamodb:PutItem` permits write operations. Therefore, the function can write but cannot read items from the DynamoDB table.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The policy is invalid because it contains both Allow and Deny for the same table
Why it's wrong here
The policy is valid; Deny takes precedence.
- ✗
The Lambda function can both read and write items
Why it's wrong here
The Deny statement explicitly denies reads.
- ✓
The Lambda function can write items but cannot read items
Why this is correct
The Deny for GetItem overrides the Allow, so reads fail.
- ✗
The Lambda function cannot perform any operations on the table
Why it's wrong here
PutItem is allowed.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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