DVA-C02 Troubleshooting and Optimization Practice Question

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✓

  Most traffic targets the same partition key

  Why this is correct

  DynamoDB distributes data across partitions based on the partition key. When a disproportionate amount of read or write traffic targets a small subset of partition key values, those specific partitions become 'hot.' Each partition has a maximum throughput limit, typically 3000 RCU and 1000 WCU. Exceeding this limit on a single partition, even if the overall table capacity is sufficient, results in throttling requests directed at that hot partition.

• ✗

  The table has point-in-time recovery enabled

  Why it's wrong here

  Point-in-time recovery (PITR) is a data protection feature that enables continuous backups of a DynamoDB table, allowing restoration to any second within the last 35 days. While crucial for data durability and disaster recovery, PITR operates independently of a table's read/write capacity and its partitioning strategy. Therefore, enabling or disabling PITR has no direct impact on whether a specific partition experiences throttling due to high request volume.

• ✓

  Consumed capacity is uneven despite total table capacity being available

  Why this is correct

  DynamoDB provisions capacity at the table level, but internally distributes this capacity across its underlying partitions. If traffic is unevenly distributed across partition keys, some partitions may consume their allocated share of capacity much faster than others, becoming 'hot.' Even if the total provisioned capacity for the entire table is not fully utilized, requests targeting these hot partitions will be throttled because those specific partitions have exhausted their individual throughput limits.

• ✗

  CloudTrail is enabled in all regions

  Why it's wrong here

  CloudTrail is an AWS service that records API calls and related events made by or on behalf of your AWS account, delivering log files to an S3 bucket. Its primary function is for auditing, security analysis, and operational troubleshooting of AWS API activity, not for monitoring or influencing the operational performance of individual DynamoDB partitions. Therefore, enabling CloudTrail, even across all regions, has no bearing on the read/write capacity or throttling behavior of a DynamoDB table.