- A
Increase the Lambda function memory to the maximum allowed.
Why wrong: Memory increase does not affect concurrency limits.
- B
Enable DynamoDB auto scaling for the table to handle traffic spikes.
Auto scaling adjusts capacity to prevent throttling.
- C
Set API Gateway throttling limits to match the expected peak traffic.
Why wrong: API Gateway throttling does not prevent DynamoDB throttling.
- D
Reserve concurrency for the Lambda function to ensure it always has available capacity.
Why wrong: Reserving concurrency can limit scaling and cause throttling if traffic exceeds reserved amount.
Question 728 of 1,750
DOP-C02 Resilient Cloud Solutions Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of resilient cloud solutions. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 DevOps engineer is designing a resilient architecture for a serverless application using AWS Lambda, Amazon API Gateway, and Amazon DynamoDB. The application experiences occasional spikes in traffic that cause Lambda function throttling and increased error rates. What is the MOST effective way to improve resilience and reduce throttling?
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
✓
Enable DynamoDB auto scaling for the table to handle traffic spikes.
The occasional traffic spikes cause DynamoDB to throttle read/write capacity, resulting in ProvisionedThroughputExceededException errors. Lambda functions calling DynamoDB retry these errors, which increases concurrent executions and leads to Lambda throttling. Enabling DynamoDB auto scaling dynamically adjusts capacity to match traffic, preventing database-level throttling and the cascade of retries that cause Lambda throttling. This addresses the root cause more effectively than Lambda-level or API Gateway-level mitigations, which do not prevent downstream errors from triggering retries. Option D (reserved concurrency) guarantees capacity but does not reduce errors if DynamoDB is overwhelmed.
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.
- ✗
Increase the Lambda function memory to the maximum allowed.
Why it's wrong here
Memory increase does not affect concurrency limits.
- ✓
Enable DynamoDB auto scaling for the table to handle traffic spikes.
Why this is correct
Auto scaling adjusts capacity to prevent throttling.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Set API Gateway throttling limits to match the expected peak traffic.
Why it's wrong here
API Gateway throttling does not prevent DynamoDB throttling.
- ✗
Reserve concurrency for the Lambda function to ensure it always has available capacity.
Why it's wrong here
Reserving concurrency can limit scaling and cause throttling if traffic exceeds reserved amount.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often focus on Lambda concurrency or API Gateway throttling as the first line of defense, but the scenario's 'increased error rates' and 'spikes' point to a downstream dependency (DynamoDB) being overwhelmed, not the upstream request path.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DynamoDB auto scaling uses the AWS Application Auto Scaling service to adjust provisioned capacity based on target utilization (e.g., 70% of consumed capacity), with cooldown periods to prevent rapid oscillations. In practice, a spike that exceeds the table's write capacity units (WCU) causes ProvisionedThroughputExceededException, which Lambda retries with exponential backoff, leading to increased latency and error rates; auto scaling preemptively raises capacity to absorb the spike.
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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Resilient Cloud Solutions — study guide chapter
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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: Enable DynamoDB auto scaling for the table to handle traffic spikes. — The occasional traffic spikes cause DynamoDB to throttle read/write capacity, resulting in ProvisionedThroughputExceededException errors. Lambda functions calling DynamoDB retry these errors, which increases concurrent executions and leads to Lambda throttling. Enabling DynamoDB auto scaling dynamically adjusts capacity to match traffic, preventing database-level throttling and the cascade of retries that cause Lambda throttling. This addresses the root cause more effectively than Lambda-level or API Gateway-level mitigations, which do not prevent downstream errors from triggering retries. Option D (reserved concurrency) guarantees capacity but does not reduce errors if DynamoDB is overwhelmed.
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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