Dynamodb

--- name: dynamodb description: AWS DynamoDB NoSQL database for scalable data storage. Use when designing table schemas, writing queries, configuring indexes, managing capacity, implementing single-table design, or troubleshooting performance issues. lastupdated: "2026-01-07" docsource: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazondynamodb/latest/developerguide/ --- # AWS DynamoDB Amazon DynamoDB is a fully managed NoSQL database service providing fast, predictable performance at any scale. It supports key-value and document data structures. ## Table of Contents - [Core Concepts](#core-concepts) - [Common Patterns](#common-patterns) - [CLI Reference](#cli-reference) - [Best Practices](#best-practices) - [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting) - [References](#references) ## Core Concepts ### Keys | Key Type | Description | |----------|-------------| | Partition Key (PK) | Required. Determines data distribution | | Sort Key (SK) | Optional. Enables range queries within partition | | Composite Key | PK + SK combination | ### Secondary Indexes | Index Type | Description | |------------|-------------| | GSI (Global Secondary Index) | Different PK/SK, separate throughput, eventually consistent | | LSI (Local Secondary Index) | Same PK, different SK, shares table throughput, strongly consistent option | ### Capacity Modes | Mode | Use Case | |------|----------| | On-Demand | Unpredictable traffic, pay-per-request | | Provisioned | Predictable traffic, lower cost, can use auto-scaling | ## Common Patterns ### Create a Table AWS CLI: ``bash aws dynamodb create-table \ --table-name Users \ --attribute-definitions \ AttributeName=PK,AttributeType=S \ AttributeName=SK,AttributeType=S \ --key-schema \ AttributeName=PK,KeyType=HASH \ AttributeName=SK,KeyType=RANGE \ --billing-mode PAY_PER_REQUEST ` **boto3:** `python import boto3 dynamodb = boto3.resource('dynamodb') table = dynamodb.create_table( TableName='Users', KeySchema=[ {'AttributeName': 'PK', 'KeyType': 'HASH'}, {'AttributeName': 'SK', 'KeyType': 'RANGE'} ], AttributeDefinitions=[ {'AttributeName': 'PK', 'AttributeType': 'S'}, {'AttributeName': 'SK', 'AttributeType': 'S'} ], BillingMode='PAY_PER_REQUEST' ) table.wait_until_exists() ` ### Basic CRUD Operations `python import boto3 from boto3.dynamodb.conditions import Key, Attr dynamodb = boto3.resource('dynamodb') table = dynamodb.Table('Users') # Put item table.put_item( Item={ 'PK': 'USER#123', 'SK': 'PROFILE', 'name': 'John Doe', 'email': 'john@example.com', 'created_at': '2024-01-15T10:30:00Z' } ) # Get item response = table.get_item( Key={'PK': 'USER#123', 'SK': 'PROFILE'} ) item = response.get('Item') # Update item table.update_item( Key={'PK': 'USER#123', 'SK': 'PROFILE'}, UpdateExpression='SET #name = :name, updated_at = :updated', ExpressionAttributeNames={'#name': 'name'}, ExpressionAttributeValues={ ':name': 'John Smith', ':updated': '2024-01-16T10:30:00Z' } ) # Delete item table.delete_item( Key={'PK': 'USER#123', 'SK': 'PROFILE'} ) ` ### Query Operations `python # Query by partition key response = table.query( KeyConditionExpression=Key('PK').eq('USER#123') ) # Query with sort key condition response = table.query( KeyConditionExpression=Key('PK').eq('USER#123') & Key('SK').begins_with('ORDER#') ) # Query with filter response = table.query( KeyConditionExpression=Key('PK').eq('USER#123'), FilterExpression=Attr('status').eq('active') ) # Query with projection response = table.query( KeyConditionExpression=Key('PK').eq('USER#123'), ProjectionExpression='PK, SK, #name, email', ExpressionAttributeNames={'#name': 'name'} ) # Paginated query paginator = dynamodb.meta.client.get_paginator('query') for page in paginator.paginate( TableName='Users', KeyConditionExpression='PK = :pk', ExpressionAttributeValues={':pk': {'S': 'USER#123'}} ): for item in page['Items']: print(item) ` ### Batch Operations `python # Batch write (up to 25 items) with table.batch_writer() as batch: for i in range(100): batch.put_item(Item={ 'PK': f'USER#{i}', 'SK': 'PROFILE', 'name': f'User {i}' }) # Batch get (up to 100 items) dynamodb = boto3.resource('dynamodb') response = dynamodb.batch_get_item( RequestItems={ 'Users': { 'Keys': [ {'PK': 'USER#1', 'SK': 'PROFILE'}, {'PK': 'USER#2', 'SK': 'PROFILE'} ] } } ) ` ### Create GSI ``bash aws dynamodb update-table \ --table-name Users \ --attribute-definitions AttributeName=email,AttributeType=S \ --global-secondary-index-updates '[ { "Create": { "IndexName": "email-index", "KeySchema": [{"AttributeName": "email", "KeyType": "HA