AWS Technical Essentials Practice

What is the use of a primary key in DynamoDB?

1. To uniquely identify items in a table

2. To group related items together

3. To assign user permissions

4. To define data types

The correct answer is: To uniquely identify items in a table

A primary key in DynamoDB serves the critical function of uniquely identifying each item within a table. This means that no two items can have the same primary key, ensuring that each piece of data stored in the table is distinct and can be retrieved without ambiguity. When designing a DynamoDB table, selecting an appropriate primary key is fundamental, as it directly influences how data is accessed and how queries are executed. By ensuring that each item has a unique identifier, DynamoDB maintains data integrity and allows for efficient data retrieval. This capability supports use cases where fast lookups of specific records are required, making DynamoDB an appealing option for applications that demand high performance at scale. The other choices may seem relevant to data management but do not accurately describe the primary purpose of a primary key in DynamoDB. Grouping related items together is typically more related to secondary indexes. Assigning user permissions pertains to AWS IAM policies, which manage access to AWS services and resources rather than data elements within a DynamoDB table. Lastly, defining data types is handled through other means in the schema design of DynamoDB and does not fundamentally relate to the primary key's function.