- A
Migrate the session store from DynamoDB to Amazon ElastiCache Memcached.
Why wrong: Requires significant application changes and Memcached is not durable.
- B
Increase the read capacity units (RCU) of the DynamoDB table to handle peak traffic.
Why wrong: Manual scaling is not cost-effective and may still lead to throttling if spikes exceed provisioned capacity.
- C
Move session state to Amazon SQS and have the application poll the queue.
Why wrong: SQS is not a session store; it's a message queue.
- D
Implement Amazon DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) as a caching layer for the session store.
DAX provides an in-memory cache that reduces read latency and offloads read capacity from the DynamoDB table.
Question 1,372 of 1,746
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new 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 is running a web application on AWS Elastic Beanstalk with an Auto Scaling group behind an Application Load Balancer. The application stores session state in an Amazon DynamoDB table. During a traffic spike, the application becomes slow and some users are logged out unexpectedly. The operations team notices that the DynamoDB table's read capacity utilization is consistently at 100%. The company needs to improve the performance of the session store without over-provisioning capacity. Which solution should be implemented?
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
✓
Implement Amazon DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) as a caching layer for the session store.
Option D is correct because DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) provides an in-memory cache for DynamoDB, reducing read latency and offloading read capacity without over-provisioning. Option A: Migrating to ElastiCache Memcached would require significant application changes and does not directly alleviate the DynamoDB read capacity issue. Option B: Increasing read capacity units (RCU) manually is not scalable and could lead to over-provisioning; it does not address the root cause of read spikes efficiently. Option C: Amazon SQS is a message queue service, not a session store; using it for session state would not provide low-latency access required for session management.
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.
- ✗
Migrate the session store from DynamoDB to Amazon ElastiCache Memcached.
Why it's wrong here
Requires significant application changes and Memcached is not durable.
- ✗
Increase the read capacity units (RCU) of the DynamoDB table to handle peak traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Manual scaling is not cost-effective and may still lead to throttling if spikes exceed provisioned capacity.
- ✗
Move session state to Amazon SQS and have the application poll the queue.
Why it's wrong here
SQS is not a session store; it's a message queue.
- ✓
Implement Amazon DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) as a caching layer for the session store.
Why this is correct
DAX provides an in-memory cache that reduces read latency and offloads read capacity from the DynamoDB table.
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 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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which SAP-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 SAP-C02 question test?
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Implement Amazon DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) as a caching layer for the session store. — Option D is correct because DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) provides an in-memory cache for DynamoDB, reducing read latency and offloading read capacity without over-provisioning. Option A: Migrating to ElastiCache Memcached would require significant application changes and does not directly alleviate the DynamoDB read capacity issue. Option B: Increasing read capacity units (RCU) manually is not scalable and could lead to over-provisioning; it does not address the root cause of read spikes efficiently. Option C: Amazon SQS is a message queue service, not a session store; using it for session state would not provide low-latency access required for session management.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SAP-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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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