DVA-C02 Troubleshooting and Optimization Practice Question
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of troubleshooting and optimization. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 deploys a serverless application using AWS Lambda, Amazon API Gateway, and Amazon DynamoDB. The application allows users to retrieve data by calling a REST API. Recently, users have reported that some requests return HTTP 500 errors. The developer investigates and finds that the Lambda function logs show occasional 'ProvisionedThroughputExceededException' errors when writing to a DynamoDB table. The table has provisioned read capacity of 5 and write capacity of 5. The Lambda function is configured with a reserved concurrency of 10. The developer wants to minimize errors without significantly increasing costs. Which action should the developer take?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable auto scaling for the DynamoDB table with a minimum write capacity of 5 and a maximum of 10.
Option A is correct because enabling DynamoDB auto scaling allows the table to handle bursts beyond provisioned capacity, reducing throttling while controlling cost. Option B is wrong because increasing reserved concurrency would cause more Lambda invocations and more writes, potentially worsening the throttling. Option C is wrong because adding retries with exponential backoff in the Lambda function may help, but it does not address the root cause of insufficient write capacity; it only reduces the immediate error rate but could increase latency and costs due to retries. Option D is wrong because using DAX is for read-heavy workloads and does not help with write capacity.
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.
✓
Enable auto scaling for the DynamoDB table with a minimum write capacity of 5 and a maximum of 10.
Why this is correct
Auto scaling adjusts capacity based on actual traffic, reducing throttling while keeping costs low.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Add a DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) cluster in front of the table.
Why it's wrong here
DAX is an in-memory cache for reads, not for writes.
✗
Increase the reserved concurrency for the Lambda function to 20.
Why it's wrong here
More concurrent Lambda executions will increase write requests, worsening throttling.
✗
Implement retry logic with exponential backoff in the Lambda function for DynamoDB write operations.
Why it's wrong here
Retries can help, but if capacity is consistently exceeded, retries will continue to fail and increase latency.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which DVA-C02 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.
Troubleshooting and Optimization — This question tests Troubleshooting and Optimization — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable auto scaling for the DynamoDB table with a minimum write capacity of 5 and a maximum of 10. — Option A is correct because enabling DynamoDB auto scaling allows the table to handle bursts beyond provisioned capacity, reducing throttling while controlling cost. Option B is wrong because increasing reserved concurrency would cause more Lambda invocations and more writes, potentially worsening the throttling. Option C is wrong because adding retries with exponential backoff in the Lambda function may help, but it does not address the root cause of insufficient write capacity; it only reduces the immediate error rate but could increase latency and costs due to retries. Option D is wrong because using DAX is for read-heavy workloads and does not help with write capacity.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which DVA-C02 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: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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 →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This DVA-C02 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 DVA-C02 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.