A DynamoDB table backs a flash-sale feature with unpredictable, spiky traffic that can jump 10x within minutes. The team wants to avoid throttling without capacity planning. Which capacity mode fits best?
A.Provisioned capacity with fixed RCU/WCU
Fixed provisioned capacity throttles when traffic exceeds provisioned throughput.
B.On-demand capacity mode
Correct. On-demand scales instantly for spiky, unpredictable access patterns.
C.Provisioned capacity with a scheduled scaling policy
Scheduled scaling works for predictable patterns — flash sales spike too fast.
D.Reduce item sizes to fit within free tier limits
Item size doesn't solve throughput throttling.
Why this answer
On-demand capacity mode instantly adapts to traffic without pre-provisioning — ideal for unpredictable, spiky workloads. Provisioned mode (even with scheduled scaling) requires anticipating load and can throttle during sudden bursts.
Correct answer: B · Last reviewed 2026-10-26
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