TTL with Streams for archival in DynamoDB - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does TTL stand for in DynamoDB?

TTL stands for Time To Live. It is a feature that automatically deletes expired items from a DynamoDB table.

intermediate

How does DynamoDB Streams help with archival when using TTL?

DynamoDB Streams capture item changes, including deletions caused by TTL expiration. This allows you to archive deleted items by processing the stream before the data is lost.

intermediate

What is the typical flow for archiving data using TTL and Streams?

1. Enable TTL on the table to auto-delete expired items.<br>2. Enable DynamoDB Streams to capture deletions.<br>3. Use a Lambda function triggered by the stream to copy deleted items to an archive storage like S3.

advanced

Why is it important to process DynamoDB Streams quickly when using TTL for archival?

Because TTL deletes items automatically and the stream records are only kept for 24 hours, processing streams quickly ensures you capture and archive data before it disappears.

beginner

Can TTL be used to directly archive data in DynamoDB?

No, TTL only deletes expired items. Archival requires using DynamoDB Streams to capture deletions and then copying data to another storage system.

What happens to an item in DynamoDB when its TTL expires?

A It is marked as expired but remains in the table.

B It is archived automatically to S3.

C It is automatically deleted from the table.

D It triggers an alert but stays in the table.

TTL automatically deletes expired items from the DynamoDB table.

Which DynamoDB feature allows you to capture item deletions caused by TTL?

A DynamoDB Streams

B Global Secondary Index

C Provisioned Throughput

D DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX)

DynamoDB Streams capture all item changes including deletions caused by TTL.

What is a common service used to process DynamoDB Streams for archival?

A Amazon EC2

B AWS Lambda

C Amazon RDS

D AWS Glue

AWS Lambda is commonly used to process stream records and archive data.

How long are DynamoDB Stream records retained?

A 24 hours

B 7 days

C 30 days

D Indefinitely

Stream records are kept for 24 hours, so processing must be timely.

Which of the following is NOT true about TTL in DynamoDB?

A TTL deletes expired items automatically.

B TTL requires enabling DynamoDB Streams for archival.

C TTL helps manage data lifecycle by removing old data.

D TTL can trigger a Lambda function directly.

TTL does not trigger Lambda directly; Streams must be used to detect deletions.

Explain how TTL and DynamoDB Streams work together to enable data archival.

Think about how automatic deletion and event capture combine.

Describe the steps to set up a DynamoDB table for archival using TTL and Streams.

Consider configuration and processing flow.