Quick Answer
The answer is to check the X-Ray service map for error edges, examine trace details for exception messages and stack traces, and review segment timing for throttling or latency. This is correct because AWS X-Ray captures the full request lifecycle across Lambda, DynamoDB, and SQS, allowing you to pinpoint exactly which downstream service returned an error—such as a DynamoDB ProvisionedThroughputExceededException or an SQS AccessDenied—by drilling into individual segments. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this tests your ability to use X-Ray’s distributed tracing to isolate failures in serverless architectures, a common scenario where developers mistakenly rely only on CloudWatch logs. A frequent trap is ignoring the service map’s red edges, which visually highlight the failing component. Memory tip: “Red edges, dead ends—trace the segments to mend the sends.”
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 developer is using AWS X-Ray to trace a Lambda function that calls DynamoDB and SQS. Some traces show errors. Which THREE actions should the developer take to diagnose the issue?
Examine the trace details for exception messages.
Shows specific errors.
Verify that the Lambda function's IAM role has permissions for X-Ray.
Missing permissions cause missing traces.
Check the X-Ray service map for error edges.
Shows which service is failing.
Disable X-Ray sampling to capture all requests.
Why wrong: Disabling sampling does not help diagnose.
Enable CloudFront to cache responses.
Why wrong: Not related to X-Ray.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Examine the trace details for exception messages.
Option A is correct because examining trace details in AWS X-Ray allows the developer to view exception messages, stack traces, and error codes for each segment of the trace. This directly reveals the root cause of errors, such as DynamoDB throttling or SQS permission issues, by pinpointing which service call failed and why.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Examine the trace details for exception messages.
Why this is correct
Shows specific errors.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Verify that the Lambda function's IAM role has permissions for X-Ray.
Why this is correct
Missing permissions cause missing traces.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Check the X-Ray service map for error edges.
Why this is correct
Shows which service is failing.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Disable X-Ray sampling to capture all requests.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling sampling does not help diagnose.
Enable CloudFront to cache responses.
Why it's wrong here
Not related to X-Ray.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may think disabling sampling (Option D) is necessary to see all errors, but X-Ray's sampling is designed to capture errors by default, and the real diagnostic value lies in analyzing trace details and the service map, not in increasing sample volume.
Detailed technical explanation
X-Ray trace details include subsegments for each downstream call (e.g., DynamoDB PutItem, SQS SendMessage), with HTTP status codes, error messages, and duration. Under the hood, X-Ray uses the AWS SDK's instrumentation to automatically capture these subsegments, and the service map aggregates them to show error edges (e.g., red lines between Lambda and DynamoDB). In a real-world scenario, a 400-level error from DynamoDB due to a conditional check failure would appear as an exception in the trace, while a 500-level error from SQS due to throttling would show as a fault.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
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FAQ
Troubleshooting and Optimization — This question tests Troubleshooting and Optimization — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Examine the trace details for exception messages. — Option A is correct because examining trace details in AWS X-Ray allows the developer to view exception messages, stack traces, and error codes for each segment of the trace. This directly reveals the root cause of errors, such as DynamoDB throttling or SQS permission issues, by pinpointing which service call failed and why.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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