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DynamoDBquery~10 mins

Stream vs polling comparison in DynamoDB - Interactive Practice

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Practice - 5 Tasks
Answer the questions below
1fill in blank
easy

Complete the code to enable DynamoDB Streams on a table.

DynamoDB
aws dynamodb update-table --table-name MyTable --stream-specification StreamEnabled=[1],StreamViewType=NEW_IMAGE
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
Atrue
Bfalse
Cenabled
Don
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Using 'enabled' or 'on' instead of true.
Using uppercase True which is invalid in CLI.
2fill in blank
medium

Complete the code to poll DynamoDB for new records using the AWS SDK.

DynamoDB
const params = { StreamArn: 'MyStreamArn', [1]: 'LATEST' };
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
AShardIteratorType
BStreamArn
CStreamViewType
DStreamLabel
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Using StreamViewType which defines what data is captured.
Using StreamArn which is the stream's identifier.
3fill in blank
hard

Fix the error in this polling code snippet to correctly retrieve records from DynamoDB Streams.

DynamoDB
const records = await dynamodbstreams.getRecords({ ShardIterator: [1] }).promise();
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
AshardIterator
BShardIterator
Csharditerator
DSharditerator
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Using lowercase or incorrect casing causes runtime errors.
Misspelling the parameter name.
4fill in blank
hard

Fill both blanks to create a DynamoDB Stream event handler that processes new records.

DynamoDB
exports.handler = async (event) => {
  for (const record of event.[1]) {
    if (record.eventName === '[2]') {
      console.log('New record:', record.dynamodb.NewImage);
    }
  }
};
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
ARecords
BEvents
CINSERT
DMODIFY
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Using 'Events' instead of 'Records'.
Checking for 'MODIFY' instead of 'INSERT' when looking for new records.
5fill in blank
hard

Fill all three blanks to create a polling loop that fetches and processes DynamoDB Stream records.

DynamoDB
let shardIterator = await dynamodbstreams.getShardIterator({
  StreamArn: streamArn,
  ShardId: shardId,
  ShardIteratorType: '[1]'
}).promise().then(data => data.[2]);

while (shardIterator) {
  const data = await dynamodbstreams.getRecords({ ShardIterator: shardIterator }).promise();
  data.[3].forEach(record => {
    console.log('Record:', record);
  });
  shardIterator = data.NextShardIterator;
  await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000));
}
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
ATRIM_HORIZON
BShardIterator
CRecords
DLATEST
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Using 'TRIM_HORIZON' instead of 'LATEST' when wanting newest records.
Accessing wrong property name for iterator or records.
Not waiting between polls causing throttling.

Practice

(1/5)
1. Which of the following best describes DynamoDB Streams compared to polling?
easy
A. Polling and streams both check for changes only once a day.
B. Polling pushes data changes immediately, streams check periodically.
C. Streams push data changes immediately, polling checks periodically.
D. Both streams and polling push data changes immediately.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Understand DynamoDB Streams behavior

    DynamoDB Streams send data change events as they happen, pushing updates immediately.
  2. Step 2: Understand polling behavior

    Polling requires the client to ask for updates at fixed intervals, not instantly.
  3. Final Answer:

    Streams push data changes immediately, polling checks periodically. -> Option C
  4. Quick Check:

    Streams = push, Polling = periodic check [OK]
Hint: Streams push instantly; polling waits for your request [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Confusing which method pushes data
  • Thinking polling is real-time
  • Assuming streams require manual checks
2. Which syntax correctly represents enabling DynamoDB Streams on a table using AWS CLI?
easy
A. aws dynamodb update-table --table-name MyTable --stream-specification StreamEnabled=true,StreamViewType=NEW_IMAGE
B. aws dynamodb enable-stream --table MyTable --type NEW_IMAGE
C. aws dynamodb create-stream --table-name MyTable --view NEW_IMAGE
D. aws dynamodb set-stream --table MyTable --enabled true

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify correct AWS CLI command for streams

    The correct command to enable streams is 'update-table' with '--stream-specification' option.
  2. Step 2: Verify syntax correctness

    aws dynamodb update-table --table-name MyTable --stream-specification StreamEnabled=true,StreamViewType=NEW_IMAGE uses correct flags and parameters: StreamEnabled=true and StreamViewType=NEW_IMAGE.
  3. Final Answer:

    aws dynamodb update-table --table-name MyTable --stream-specification StreamEnabled=true,StreamViewType=NEW_IMAGE -> Option A
  4. Quick Check:

    Enable streams with update-table and stream-specification [OK]
Hint: Use update-table with --stream-specification to enable streams [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Using non-existent commands like create-stream
  • Incorrect flag names
  • Missing StreamEnabled parameter
3. Given a DynamoDB table with streams enabled, what will happen if you poll the table every 10 minutes instead of using streams?
medium
A. Polling disables streams temporarily.
B. You get real-time updates as soon as data changes.
C. Polling automatically triggers streams to push data.
D. You receive updates only every 10 minutes, possibly missing immediate changes.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Understand polling frequency impact

    Polling every 10 minutes means updates are checked only at those intervals, not instantly.
  2. Step 2: Compare with streams behavior

    Streams push changes immediately, so polling delays updates and may miss real-time events.
  3. Final Answer:

    You receive updates only every 10 minutes, possibly missing immediate changes. -> Option D
  4. Quick Check:

    Polling = delayed updates, not real-time [OK]
Hint: Polling delays updates; streams push instantly [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Assuming polling is real-time
  • Thinking polling triggers streams
  • Believing polling disables streams
4. You wrote code to poll a DynamoDB table every 5 seconds but notice high latency and missed updates. What is the likely issue?
medium
A. Streams must be disabled to use polling.
B. Polling too frequently causes throttling and delays.
C. Polling automatically disables table writes.
D. Polling every 5 seconds guarantees no missed updates.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Analyze polling frequency effects

    Polling very frequently can cause throttling or API limits, increasing latency.
  2. Step 2: Understand polling limitations

    Polling does not guarantee no missed updates and can overload the system if too frequent.
  3. Final Answer:

    Polling too frequently causes throttling and delays. -> Option B
  4. Quick Check:

    Too frequent polling = throttling and latency [OK]
Hint: Avoid polling too often to prevent throttling [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Thinking streams must be off to poll
  • Believing polling disables writes
  • Assuming frequent polling prevents missed updates
5. You need to build a dashboard that updates instantly when DynamoDB data changes. Which approach is best and why?
hard
A. Use DynamoDB Streams to push changes and update dashboard in real-time.
B. Poll the table every hour to reduce costs and update dashboard.
C. Disable streams and poll every 5 minutes for near real-time updates.
D. Use polling once a day and cache results for dashboard.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify real-time update requirement

    The dashboard needs instant updates when data changes, requiring immediate notification.
  2. Step 2: Compare streams and polling for real-time needs

    Streams push changes immediately, ideal for real-time dashboards; polling delays updates and is less efficient.
  3. Final Answer:

    Use DynamoDB Streams to push changes and update dashboard in real-time. -> Option A
  4. Quick Check:

    Real-time dashboard = use streams [OK]
Hint: For instant updates, prefer streams over polling [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Choosing polling despite real-time need
  • Ignoring cost vs latency trade-offs
  • Assuming polling can be truly real-time
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