# Managing AWS Dynamodb Deep

> Use when working with Aws Dynamodb Deep — aWS DynamoDB deep-dive management covering table configurations, capacity analysis, GSI/LSI health, auto-scaling policies, streams, backups, contributor insights, and TTL settings. Use when performing deep analysis of DynamoDB tables, optimizing capacity and throughput, debugging throttling, or auditing table configurations beyond basic inventory.

- Skill: `cloudthinker-ai/managing-aws-dynamodb-deep` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add cloudthinker-ai/managing-aws-dynamodb-deep`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/cloudthinker-ai/managing-aws-dynamodb-deep/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: DevOps & Infra
- Author: cloudthinker-ai (https://skillmd.com/u/cloudthinker-ai)
- Updated: 2026-09-08
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/cloudthinker-ai/managing-aws-dynamodb-deep

---


# AWS DynamoDB Deep-Dive Skill

Deep analysis of DynamoDB tables, capacity planning, index health, and operational metrics.

## MANDATORY: Discovery-First Pattern

**Always list tables and get basic descriptions before deep-diving.**

### Phase 1: Discovery

```bash
#!/bin/bash
export AWS_PAGER=""

echo "=== DynamoDB Tables ==="
TABLES=$(aws dynamodb list-tables --output text --query 'TableNames[]')
echo "$TABLES" | tr '\t' '\n'

echo ""
echo "=== Table Summary ==="
for table in $TABLES; do
  aws dynamodb describe-table --table-name "$table" --output text \
    --query "Table.[TableName,TableStatus,BillingModeSummary.BillingMode,ItemCount,TableSizeBytes,GlobalSecondaryIndexes[].IndexName|join(',',@)]" &
done
wait

echo ""
echo "=== Auto-Scaling Targets ==="
aws application-autoscaling describe-scalable-targets --service-namespace dynamodb --output text \
  --query 'ScalableTargets[].[ResourceId,ScalableDimension,MinCapacity,MaxCapacity]' 2>/dev/null | head -20
```

### Phase 2: Analysis

```bash
#!/bin/bash
export AWS_PAGER=""

END_TIME=$(date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S")
START_TIME=$(date -u -d "7 days ago" +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S" 2>/dev/null || date -u -v-7d +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S")

echo "=== Throttle Events (7d) ==="
for table in $(aws dynamodb list-tables --output text --query 'TableNames[]'); do
  {
    read_throttle=$(aws cloudwatch get-metric-statistics --namespace AWS/DynamoDB --metric-name ReadThrottleEvents \
      --dimensions Name=TableName,Value="$table" \
      --start-time "$START_TIME" --end-time "$END_TIME" --period 604800 --statistics Sum \
      --output text --query 'Datapoints[0].Sum')
    write_throttle=$(aws cloudwatch get-metric-statistics --namespace AWS/DynamoDB --metric-name WriteThrottleEvents \
      --dimensions Name=TableName,Value="$table" \
      --start-time "$START_TIME" --end-time "$END_TIME" --period 604800 --statistics Sum \
      --output text --query 'Datapoints[0].Sum')
    printf "%s\tReadThrottles:%s\tWriteThrottles:%s\n" "$table" "${read_throttle:-0}" "${write_throttle:-0}"
  } &
done
wait

echo ""
echo "=== Consumed vs Provisioned Capacity ==="
for table in $(aws dynamodb list-tables --output text --query 'TableNames[]'); do
  {
    consumed_read=$(aws cloudwatch get-metric-statistics --namespace AWS/DynamoDB --metric-name ConsumedReadCapacityUnits \
      --dimensions Name=TableName,Value="$table" \
      --start-time "$START_TIME" --end-time "$END_TIME" --period 604800 --statistics Average \
      --output text --query 'Datapoints[0].Average')
    consumed_write=$(aws cloudwatch get-metric-statistics --namespace AWS/DynamoDB --metric-name ConsumedWriteCapacityUnits \
      --dimensions Name=TableName,Value="$table" \
      --start-time "$START_TIME" --end-time "$END_TIME" --period 604800 --statistics Average \
      --output text --query 'Datapoints[0].Average')
    printf "%s\tAvgReadCU:%.1f\tAvgWriteCU:%.1f\n" "$table" "${consumed_read:-0}" "${consumed_write:-0}"
  } &
done
wait

echo ""
echo "=== GSI Status ==="
for table in $(aws dynamodb list-tables --output text --query 'TableNames[]'); do
  aws dynamodb describe-table --table-name "$table" --output text \
    --query "Table.GlobalSecondaryIndexes[].[\"$table\",IndexName,IndexStatus,ItemCount,Projection.ProjectionType]" 2>/dev/null &
done
wait

echo ""
echo "=== Streams & TTL ==="
for table in $(aws dynamodb list-tables --output text --query 'TableNames[]'); do
  {
    stream=$(aws dynamodb describe-table --table-name "$table" --output text \
      --query 'Table.StreamSpecification.StreamEnabled')
    ttl=$(aws dynamodb describe-time-to-live --table-name "$table" --output text \
      --query 'TimeToLiveDescription.TimeToLiveStatus')
    printf "%s\tStream:%s\tTTL:%s\n" "$table" "${stream:-disabled}" "${ttl:-DISABLED}"
  } &
done
wait

echo ""
echo "=== Backups ==="
aws dynamodb list-backups --output text \
  --query 'BackupSummaries[].[TableName,BackupName,BackupStatus,BackupCreationDateTime,BackupType]' | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== Contributor Insights ==="
for table in $(aws dynamodb list-tables --output text --query 'TableNames[]'); do
  aws dynamodb describe-contributor-insights --table-name "$table" --output text \
    --query "[TableName,ContributorInsightsStatus]" 2>/dev/null &
done
wait
```

## Output Format

- Target ≤50 lines per output
- Use `--output text --query` for all commands
- Tab-delimited fields: TableName, Metric, Value
- Aggregate capacity metrics as averages over the period
- Never dump full table items -- show metadata and metrics only

## Anti-Hallucination Rules

1. **NEVER assume resource names** — always discover via CLI/API in Phase 1 before referencing in Phase 2.
2. **NEVER fabricate metric names or dimensions** — verify against the service documentation or `--help` output.
3. **NEVER mix CLI commands between service versions** — confirm which version/API you are targeting.
4. **ALWAYS use the discovery → verify → analyze chain** — every resource referenced must have been discovered first.
5. **ALWAYS handle empty results gracefully** — an empty response is valid data, not an error to retry.

## Counter-Rationalizations

| Shortcut | Counter | Why |
|----------|---------|-----|
| "I'll skip discovery and check known resources" | Always run Phase 1 discovery first | Resource names change, new resources appear — assumed names cause errors |
| "The user only asked for a quick check" | Follow the full discovery → analysis flow | Quick checks miss critical issues; structured analysis catches silent failures |
| "Default configuration is probably fine" | Audit configuration explicitly | Defaults often leave logging, security, and optimization features disabled |
| "Metrics aren't needed for this" | Always check relevant metrics when available | API/CLI responses show current state; metrics reveal trends and intermittent issues |
| "I don't have access to that" | Try the command and report the actual error | Assumed permission failures prevent useful investigation; actual errors are informative |

## Common Pitfalls

- **Billing mode**: PAY_PER_REQUEST vs PROVISIONED -- capacity metrics differ significantly
- **GSI throttling**: GSIs have independent capacity -- throttled GSIs can cause table-level write throttling
- **Hot partitions**: Use Contributor Insights to identify hot partition keys
- **On-demand scaling**: On-demand tables can throttle if traffic exceeds 2x previous peak within 30 minutes
- **Auto-scaling delay**: Auto-scaling reacts to CloudWatch alarms with ~5 minute delay -- not instant
- **Item size**: Max 400KB per item -- check `AverageItemSize` from table description
- **Stream retention**: DynamoDB Streams retain data for 24 hours only -- process events promptly
- **Backup types**: AWS_BACKUP (managed by AWS Backup), SYSTEM (continuous backups), USER (on-demand)