The correct answer involves increasing the DynamoDB table’s write capacity unit maximum to 5000, reducing the Lambda batch size, and relying on Kinesis retries to achieve exactly-once processing. This combination resolves the ProvisionedThroughputExceededException because Kinesis Data Streams automatically retries failed records, ensuring no data loss, while a lower batch size reduces the number of concurrent writes hitting the table, and a higher WCU ceiling allows DynamoDB auto scaling to handle bursts without throttling. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Lambda, Kinesis, and DynamoDB interact under throttling pressure—a common trap is to increase Lambda concurrency, which actually worsens the problem by flooding the table with more write requests. Remember the key principle: when DynamoDB throttles in a streaming pipeline, always scale the write capacity, not the compute concurrency. A useful memory tip is “Kinesis retries, Lambda reduces, DynamoDB rises”—three levers that together preserve exactly-once semantics.
DOP-C02 Resilient Cloud Solutions Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of resilient cloud solutions. 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 runs a critical application on AWS Lambda functions that process real-time streaming data from Amazon Kinesis Data Streams. Each Lambda function processes a batch of records and writes results to an Amazon DynamoDB table. The application is sensitive to data loss and requires exactly-once processing semantics. Recently, the operations team observed that the Lambda function is failing intermittently with 'ProvisionedThroughputExceededException' errors from DynamoDB. The Lambda function's batch size is 100, and the function is configured with a reserved concurrency of 500. The DynamoDB table has 100 read capacity units (RCUs) and 100 write capacity units (WCUs) with auto scaling enabled up to 1000 WCUs. The function's execution role has the necessary DynamoDB permissions. The Kinesis stream has 10 shards. The DevOps engineer needs to resolve the throttling errors without losing data. Which combination of actions should the engineer take? (Choose THREE.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Set the Lambda function's batch size to a lower value (e.g., 10) and enable parallelization factor per shard.
Option A is correct because Kinesis supports retries and can reprocess records after failures, ensuring no data loss. Option B is correct because mapping iterator age and using a lower batch size reduces the number of concurrent writes. Option E is correct because enabling DynamoDB auto scaling with a higher maximum WCU ensures the table can handle bursts. Option C (increasing RCU) is not needed for writes. Option D (increasing Lambda concurrency) may increase throttle.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Set the Lambda function's batch size to a lower value (e.g., 10) and enable parallelization factor per shard.
Why this is correct
Reduces the number of concurrent writes per shard, decreasing throttling.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Increase the DynamoDB table's read capacity units to 1000.
Why it's wrong here
The errors are write-related, not read.
✓
Configure the Lambda function event source mapping to retry with a maximum retry count and set the function to not discard failed records.
Why this is correct
Ensures failed records are retried and not lost.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Increase the Lambda function's reserved concurrency to 1000.
Why it's wrong here
More concurrency may increase write pressure on DynamoDB.
✓
Increase the DynamoDB table's write capacity units maximum auto scaling limit to 5000.
Why this is correct
Allows the table to scale up to handle write bursts.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DOP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Resilient Cloud Solutions — This question tests Resilient Cloud Solutions — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set the Lambda function's batch size to a lower value (e.g., 10) and enable parallelization factor per shard. — Option A is correct because Kinesis supports retries and can reprocess records after failures, ensuring no data loss. Option B is correct because mapping iterator age and using a lower batch size reduces the number of concurrent writes. Option E is correct because enabling DynamoDB auto scaling with a higher maximum WCU ensures the table can handle bursts. Option C (increasing RCU) is not needed for writes. Option D (increasing Lambda concurrency) may increase throttle.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DOP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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