A provisioned DynamoDB table and GSI serve writes. ProvisionedThroughputExceededException occurs even though the table's one-minute average consumption stays below its configured capacity.
Identify whether a table, GSI, or partition limit is involved before choosing a remedy. Exception details and CloudWatch metrics are available.
Which initial investigation is most appropriate?
Use the reason and resource ARN in ThrottlingReasons to identify the resource and limit, then corroborate with the matching metrics and consumption.
Detailed explanation
Divide the period total by 60 to compare rates. A one-minute total and a per-second limit have different units.
Divide the period total by 60 to compare rates. A one-minute total and a per-second limit have different units.
A table-wide average does not rule out a GSI capacity limit or traffic concentrated on a partition.
A table-wide average does not rule out a GSI capacity limit or traffic concentrated on a partition.
The details identify the resource, operation, and limit type, which can be checked against metrics for the same time interval.
The details identify the resource, operation, and limit type, which can be checked against metrics for the same time interval.
The same exception can involve a partition limit. Increasing only table capacity also targets the wrong resource when a GSI is constrained.
The same exception can involve a partition limit. Increasing only table capacity also targets the wrong resource when a GSI is constrained.
Check official documentation
Compare the following points with the official documentation.
Review ThrottlingReasons, cause-specific metrics, GSI dimensions, and conversion of consumed Sum to a per-second rate.
Official references
What to confirm
Distinguish IndexWriteProvisionedThroughputExceeded from TableWriteKeyRangeThroughputExceeded and explain why a one-minute average alone is inconclusive.
Key points
- ThrottlingReasons
- Consumed capacity
- ProvisionedThroughputExceededException
Notes
- Environment: AWS SOA-C03 exam guide and the linked AWS documentation
- Reviewed against the linked AWS documentation on 2026-10-04.
Foundation review
Read the resource and limit in the exception
The reason combines Table/Index, Read/Write, and the limit type. IndexWriteProvisionedThroughputExceeded points to the GSI identified by the resource ARN. TableWriteKeyRangeThroughputExceeded points to a partition limit; Contributor Insights can help investigate concentrated key traffic.
Do not infer distribution from an aggregate
Divide one-minute ConsumedWriteCapacityUnits Sum by 60 for an average rate. Select TableName and GlobalSecondaryIndexName for GSI consumption. Averages can hide brief spikes or concentration, so align cause-specific throttle-event Sum and exception timestamps.