- A
Use AWS X-Ray to trace requests.
X-Ray provides end-to-end tracing to identify slow components.
- B
Enable detailed CloudWatch Logs for the API Gateway stage.
Logs can show request/response times and errors.
- C
Increase the Lambda function memory.
Why wrong: This is a mitigation, not a diagnostic step.
- D
Change the API integration type from Lambda to HTTP.
Why wrong: This changes the backend, not diagnose.
- E
Add Amazon CloudFront in front of API Gateway.
Why wrong: CloudFront is a CDN and would not diagnose internal latency.
Question 898 of 1,616
DVA-C02 Troubleshooting and Optimization Practice Question
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of troubleshooting and optimization. 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 a REST API deployed on Amazon API Gateway with a Lambda integration. The API is experiencing high latency. Which TWO actions would help diagnose the issue?
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
✓
Use AWS X-Ray to trace requests.
AWS X-Ray provides end-to-end tracing of requests as they travel through API Gateway and Lambda, allowing you to identify which component (e.g., Lambda cold start, downstream calls, or API Gateway itself) is causing the latency. By analyzing trace segments and subsegments, you can pinpoint the exact source of delays, such as slow function initialization or external API calls.
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.
- ✓
Use AWS X-Ray to trace requests.
Why this is correct
X-Ray provides end-to-end tracing to identify slow components.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Enable detailed CloudWatch Logs for the API Gateway stage.
Why this is correct
Logs can show request/response times and errors.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Increase the Lambda function memory.
Why it's wrong here
This is a mitigation, not a diagnostic step.
- ✗
Change the API integration type from Lambda to HTTP.
Why it's wrong here
This changes the backend, not diagnose.
- ✗
Add Amazon CloudFront in front of API Gateway.
Why it's wrong here
CloudFront is a CDN and would not diagnose internal latency.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse performance optimization actions (like increasing memory or adding CloudFront) with diagnostic actions, failing to recognize that the question specifically asks for actions to 'diagnose' the issue, not to fix it.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS X-Ray works by inserting trace headers (e.g., `X-Amzn-Trace-Id`) into requests and collecting timing data from services that support X-Ray, such as API Gateway and Lambda. For Lambda, enabling active tracing in the function's configuration causes the Lambda runtime to emit subsegments for initialization, invocation, and downstream calls, which can reveal cold start durations (often 100ms–1s) or slow DynamoDB queries. In a real-world scenario, a developer might discover that a Lambda function's cold start is causing 90% of the latency, leading to a fix like using Provisioned Concurrency rather than blindly increasing memory.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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 |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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Troubleshooting and Optimization — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DVA-C02 question test?
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: Use AWS X-Ray to trace requests. — AWS X-Ray provides end-to-end tracing of requests as they travel through API Gateway and Lambda, allowing you to identify which component (e.g., Lambda cold start, downstream calls, or API Gateway itself) is causing the latency. By analyzing trace segments and subsegments, you can pinpoint the exact source of delays, such as slow function initialization or external API calls.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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