← DVA-C02·Amazon Web Services

Question 1,101 of 1,616

Troubleshooting and Optimization →hardMultiple SelectObjective-mapped

Why Does My AWS Lambda Get ResourceNotFoundException from DynamoDB?

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 debugging an AWS Lambda function that is invoked by an Amazon S3 event notification. The function sometimes fails with a 'ResourceNotFoundException' when trying to access a DynamoDB table. The function's execution role has the following policy:

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": "dynamodb:*",
      "Resource": "arn:aws:dynamodb:us-east-1:123456789012:table/MyTable"
    }
  ]
}

What are TWO possible causes for this intermittent failure?

A
The Lambda function's execution role is not attached to the function.
Why wrong: If not attached, function would always fail.
B
The Lambda function is inside a VPC without a DynamoDB VPC endpoint.
Why wrong: Missing VPC endpoint would cause timeout, not ResourceNotFoundException.
C
The DynamoDB table name contains a typo in the Lambda code.
If the code references a different table name, the ARN won't match.
D
The IAM policy does not include the 'dynamodb:GetItem' action specifically.
Why wrong: The policy uses wildcard '*' for actions, which includes GetItem.
E
The DynamoDB table is in a different AWS Region than the Lambda function.
The resource ARN specifies us-east-1; if table is in another region, access fails.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 DynamoDB table name contains a typo in the Lambda code.

Option C is correct because a typo in the DynamoDB table name in the Lambda code would cause the function to attempt to access a non-existent table, resulting in a ResourceNotFoundException. The failure can be intermittent if the typo is present only in certain code paths. Option E is correct because if the DynamoDB table is in a different AWS Region than the Lambda function, the IAM policy's ARN (specifying us-east-1) does not cover the table, causing the function to fail with ResourceNotFoundException when it tries to access the table in the other region. Option A is incorrect because the policy is shown as part of the execution role, implying the role is attached; if it were not attached, the function would fail consistently. Option B is incorrect because even without a DynamoDB VPC endpoint, the function could still access DynamoDB via the internet if not in a VPC; if in a VPC, it would cause a network error, not a ResourceNotFoundException. Option D is incorrect because 'dynamodb:*' includes all actions, including 'dynamodb:GetItem'.

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.

✗
The Lambda function's execution role is not attached to the function.
Why it's wrong here
If not attached, function would always fail.
✗
The Lambda function is inside a VPC without a DynamoDB VPC endpoint.
Why it's wrong here
Missing VPC endpoint would cause timeout, not ResourceNotFoundException.
✓
The DynamoDB table name contains a typo in the Lambda code.
Why this is correct
If the code references a different table name, the ARN won't match.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The IAM policy does not include the 'dynamodb:GetItem' action specifically.
Why it's wrong here
The policy uses wildcard '*' for actions, which includes GetItem.
✓
The DynamoDB table is in a different AWS Region than the Lambda function.
Why this is correct
The resource ARN specifies us-east-1; if table is in another region, access fails.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.

Quick reference

AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison

Storage Class	Min Duration	Retrieval	Use Case
S3 Standard	None	Immediate	Frequently accessed data
S3 Standard-IA	30 days	Immediate	Infrequent access, rapid retrieval
S3 One Zone-IA	30 days	Immediate	Non-critical infrequent data
S3 Intelligent-Tiering	None	Immediate–hours	Unknown or changing access patterns
S3 Glacier Instant	90 days	Milliseconds	Archive with instant retrieval
S3 Glacier Flexible	90 days	Minutes–hours	Archive, flexible retrieval
S3 Glacier Deep Archive	180 days	Hours	Long-term compliance archive

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.

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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: The DynamoDB table name contains a typo in the Lambda code. — Option C is correct because a typo in the DynamoDB table name in the Lambda code would cause the function to attempt to access a non-existent table, resulting in a ResourceNotFoundException. The failure can be intermittent if the typo is present only in certain code paths. Option E is correct because if the DynamoDB table is in a different AWS Region than the Lambda function, the IAM policy's ARN (specifying us-east-1) does not cover the table, causing the function to fail with ResourceNotFoundException when it tries to access the table in the other region. Option A is incorrect because the policy is shown as part of the execution role, implying the role is attached; if it were not attached, the function would fail consistently. Option B is incorrect because even without a DynamoDB VPC endpoint, the function could still access DynamoDB via the internet if not in a VPC; if in a VPC, it would cause a network error, not a ResourceNotFoundException. Option D is incorrect because 'dynamodb:*' includes all actions, including 'dynamodb:GetItem'.

What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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