- A
Configure a dead-letter queue (DLQ) on the SQS queue and set the Lambda function's reserved concurrency to 1.
DLQ captures failed messages; reserved concurrency limits throttling impact.
- B
Configure an Amazon SNS topic as a Lambda destination for failure events and subscribe the SQS queue to it.
Why wrong: Lambda destinations are for async invocations; not for SQS-triggered.
- C
Configure a dead-letter queue (DLQ) on the Lambda function and set the function's maximum retry attempts to 2.
Why wrong: Lambda DLQ is for async invocations; SQS event source uses its own DLQ.
- D
Configure the Lambda function to write failed messages to an Amazon DynamoDB table and set up a scheduled Lambda to retry.
Why wrong: Overly complex; DLQ is simpler.
Question 1,185 of 1,750
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 uses AWS Lambda functions to process events from an Amazon SQS queue. The Lambda function occasionally fails due to a transient downstream service error. The DevOps team wants to ensure that failed messages are not lost and can be retried later. The team also wants to reduce the number of invocations on the downstream service. Which configuration should the team use?
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
✓
Configure a dead-letter queue (DLQ) on the SQS queue and set the Lambda function's reserved concurrency to 1.
Option A is correct because configuring a dead-letter queue (DLQ) on the SQS queue ensures that messages that exhaust their retries (due to Lambda failures) are preserved for later reprocessing, preventing data loss. Setting the Lambda function's reserved concurrency to 1 throttles the function to a single concurrent invocation, which naturally reduces the rate of downstream service calls and allows the SQS queue's visibility timeout and redrive policy to manage retry timing, thereby reducing pressure on the downstream service.
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.
- ✓
Configure a dead-letter queue (DLQ) on the SQS queue and set the Lambda function's reserved concurrency to 1.
Why this is correct
DLQ captures failed messages; reserved concurrency limits throttling impact.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configure an Amazon SNS topic as a Lambda destination for failure events and subscribe the SQS queue to it.
Why it's wrong here
Lambda destinations are for async invocations; not for SQS-triggered.
- ✗
Configure a dead-letter queue (DLQ) on the Lambda function and set the function's maximum retry attempts to 2.
Why it's wrong here
Lambda DLQ is for async invocations; SQS event source uses its own DLQ.
- ✗
Configure the Lambda function to write failed messages to an Amazon DynamoDB table and set up a scheduled Lambda to retry.
Why it's wrong here
Overly complex; DLQ is simpler.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse a Lambda function's DLQ (which captures invocation records) with an SQS queue's DLQ (which captures the original messages), and they overlook that reserved concurrency is a direct way to throttle invocation rate, not just a capacity planning tool.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When an SQS queue triggers a Lambda function with reserved concurrency set to 1, Lambda will only process one message at a time; additional messages remain in the queue and become visible again after the visibility timeout, effectively acting as a built-in backoff. The SQS DLQ captures messages after the maxReceiveCount is exceeded (e.g., 3 retries), ensuring no message is lost while the downstream service is protected from a flood of retries. This pattern is often used in event-driven architectures where the downstream service has strict rate limits or is prone to transient failures.
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 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.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
Resilient Cloud Solutions — This question tests Resilient Cloud Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure a dead-letter queue (DLQ) on the SQS queue and set the Lambda function's reserved concurrency to 1. — Option A is correct because configuring a dead-letter queue (DLQ) on the SQS queue ensures that messages that exhaust their retries (due to Lambda failures) are preserved for later reprocessing, preventing data loss. Setting the Lambda function's reserved concurrency to 1 throttles the function to a single concurrent invocation, which naturally reduces the rate of downstream service calls and allows the SQS queue's visibility timeout and redrive policy to manage retry timing, thereby reducing pressure on the downstream service.
What should I do if I get this DOP-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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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