Creating a DynamoDB table in AWS - Quick Revision & Summary

Recall & Review

beginner

What is Amazon DynamoDB?

Amazon DynamoDB is a fully managed NoSQL database service that provides fast and predictable performance with seamless scalability.

beginner

What is a primary key in a DynamoDB table?

A primary key uniquely identifies each item in a DynamoDB table. It can be a simple primary key (partition key) or a composite primary key (partition key and sort key).

intermediate

Why do you need to specify read and write capacity units when creating a DynamoDB table?

Read and write capacity units define the throughput capacity for the table, controlling how many reads and writes per second the table can handle. This helps manage performance and cost.

intermediate

What is the difference between on-demand and provisioned capacity modes in DynamoDB?

On-demand capacity automatically adjusts to your workload and charges per request, while provisioned capacity requires you to specify read/write units and is better for predictable workloads.

advanced

What is a Global Secondary Index (GSI) in DynamoDB?

A Global Secondary Index is an index with a partition key and optional sort key that can be different from the base table's primary key, allowing efficient queries on different attributes.

Which of the following is required when creating a DynamoDB table?

A Primary key definition

B VPC configuration

C Subnet group

D IAM user password

Every DynamoDB table must have a primary key defined to uniquely identify items.

What does a partition key in DynamoDB do?

A Encrypts data

B Defines table backup schedule

C Distributes data across partitions

D Limits table size

The partition key determines how data is distributed across storage partitions for scalability.

Which capacity mode charges you based on the number of reads and writes you perform?

A Burst capacity

B Provisioned capacity

C Reserved capacity

D On-demand capacity

On-demand capacity mode charges per request and automatically scales with your workload.

What is the purpose of a sort key in a DynamoDB table?

A To sort items with the same partition key

B To set read capacity

C To define table region

D To encrypt data

The sort key allows multiple items with the same partition key to be stored and sorted.

Which feature allows querying a DynamoDB table using an alternate key?

A Local Secondary Index

B Global Secondary Index

C Primary Key

D Backup and Restore

Global Secondary Indexes let you query the table using different keys than the primary key.

Explain the steps to create a DynamoDB table with a simple primary key.

Think about what you need to uniquely identify items and how you want to handle capacity.

Describe the difference between provisioned and on-demand capacity modes in DynamoDB and when to use each.

Consider workload predictability and cost management.