AWS Certified Data Analytics – Specialty — Question 69

An online gaming company is using an Amazon Kinesis Data Analytics SQL application with a Kinesis data stream as its source. The source sends three non-null fields to the application: player_id, score, and us_5_digit_zip_code.
A data analyst has a .csv mapping file that maps a small number of us_5_digit_zip_code values to a territory code. The data analyst needs to include the territory code, if one exists, as an additional output of the Kinesis Data Analytics application.
How should the data analyst meet this requirement while minimizing costs?

Answer options

• A. Store the contents of the mapping file in an Amazon DynamoDB table. Preprocess the records as they arrive in the Kinesis Data Analytics application with an AWS Lambda function that fetches the mapping and supplements each record to include the territory code, if one exists. Change the SQL query in the application to include the new field in the SELECT statement.
• B. Store the mapping file in an Amazon S3 bucket and configure the reference data column headers for the .csv file in the Kinesis Data Analytics application. Change the SQL query in the application to include a join to the file's S3 Amazon Resource Name (ARN), and add the territory code field to the SELECT columns.
• C. Store the mapping file in an Amazon S3 bucket and configure it as a reference data source for the Kinesis Data Analytics application. Change the SQL query in the application to include a join to the reference table and add the territory code field to the SELECT columns.
• D. Store the contents of the mapping file in an Amazon DynamoDB table. Change the Kinesis Data Analytics application to send its output to an AWS Lambda function that fetches the mapping and supplements each record to include the territory code, if one exists. Forward the record from the Lambda function to the original application destination.

Correct answer: C

Explanation

The correct answer is C because it allows the Kinesis Data Analytics application to directly utilize the mapping file stored in S3 as a reference data source, which simplifies the process and is cost-effective. Option A introduces an unnecessary preprocessing step with Lambda and DynamoDB, which increases complexity and costs. Option B also requires unnecessary configuration changes without leveraging the reference data functionality, while option D complicates the flow by adding additional processing through Lambda and DynamoDB.