AWS DynamoDB Optimization: Identifying Frequently Accessed Keys

Identifying Frequently Accessed Keys in DynamoDB

Question

In order to optimize the cost and performance of a DynamoDB table, a database specialist would like to identify frequently accessed keys.

What service can the specialist use to achieve this in the most optimal way?

Answers

Explanations

Click on the arrows to vote for the correct answer

A. B. C. D.

Answer: B.

Option A is incorrect because Performance Insights is a service specific to Amazon RDS.

Option B is CORRECT because CloudWatch Contributor Insights is a service for analyzing log data and identifying top contributors influencing system performance.

It can be used to determine frequently accessed attribute keys of DynamoDB tables.

Option C is incorrect because CloudTrail is a log of AWS services API activity.

It cannot be used for monitoring and analyzing the performance of DynamoDB tables.

Option D is incorrect because AWS X-Ray is used for debugging and tracing requests in microservices applications.

Although it does provide some performance data of the request traces (e.g., request latency), its capability for easy statistical analysis of DynamoDB database performance is limited as it is not purpose-built for that use case.

Further, the use of X-Ray requires application code change.

Therefore, this is not an ideal solution.

Reference:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazondynamodb/latest/developerguide/contributorinsights_HowItWorks.html

The most optimal service to use in order to identify frequently accessed keys in a DynamoDB table is Performance Insights.

Performance Insights is an AWS service that provides visibility into the performance of a database. It enables database administrators to monitor and analyze database performance in real-time, identify performance bottlenecks, and troubleshoot issues. It is available for Amazon RDS, Amazon Aurora, and Amazon DocumentDB, as well as for DynamoDB.

Performance Insights for DynamoDB provides a dashboard that displays metrics such as read and write operations, latency, and throughput. It also provides a breakdown of the most frequently accessed keys, enabling database specialists to identify the most popular items in the table. By understanding which items are frequently accessed, database specialists can optimize the performance and cost of the DynamoDB table by adjusting the partition key, adjusting provisioned throughput, or implementing caching strategies.

CloudWatch Contributor Insights is a service that provides insights into the traffic and behavior of applications by analyzing log data. While it could be used to identify frequently accessed keys in a DynamoDB table, it is not the most optimal service for this purpose, as it is not specifically designed for database performance monitoring.

CloudTrail Events is a service that records all API calls made in an AWS account, providing visibility into changes made to resources. While it could be used to monitor changes made to a DynamoDB table, it is not designed to provide real-time performance monitoring.

AWS X-Ray is a service that enables developers to analyze and debug distributed applications. It is not specifically designed for database performance monitoring and would not be the most optimal service to use to identify frequently accessed keys in a DynamoDB table.