The answer is to increase the `dynamodb.throughput.read.percentage` parameter, increase the number of DPUs, and use the `groupFiles` option. These three actions directly improve AWS Glue job parallelism when reading from DynamoDB by allocating more read capacity per segment, scaling compute resources for parallel processing, and reducing write overhead from small files. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Glue’s DynamoDB connector distributes reads across segments and how DPU allocation affects parallelism—a common trap is confusing higher batch size with better performance, when in fact decreasing batch size reduces throughput. Remember the mnemonic “Read, Compute, Group” to recall the three levers: raise read throughput, raise DPUs, and group output files.
DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data operations and support. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A data engineer is monitoring an AWS Glue ETL job that processes data from Amazon DynamoDB to Amazon S3. The job is taking longer than expected. The engineer suspects that the job's parallelism is not optimal. Which THREE actions can improve the job's performance? (Choose THREE.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable the 'groupFiles' option in the S3 sink to coalesce small files.
Option A is correct because increasing the number of DynamoDB reads per segment increases parallelism when reading from DynamoDB. Option C is correct because increasing the number of DPUs (data processing units) allocated to the job increases parallelism. Option E is correct because using the 'groupFiles' option can reduce the number of small files written to S3, reducing write overhead. Option B is wrong because decreasing the batch size reduces throughput. Option D is wrong because disabling job bookmark may cause reprocessing but does not improve performance; it may actually degrade it.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Enable the 'groupFiles' option in the S3 sink to coalesce small files.
Why this is correct
Coalescing small files reduces the number of output files and improves write performance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Decrease the 'dynamodb.splits' parameter to reduce the number of parallel readers.
Why it's wrong here
Decreasing splits reduces parallelism, making the job slower.
✓
Increase the 'MaxCapacity' (DPU) setting for the Glue job.
Why this is correct
More DPUs allow more parallel processing.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Disable job bookmark to avoid storing metadata.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling job bookmark does not improve performance; it may cause reprocessing of old data.
✓
Increase the 'dynamodb.throughput.read.percentage' parameter to allocate more read capacity.
Why this is correct
This increases the number of segments and parallelism when reading from DynamoDB.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Data Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable the 'groupFiles' option in the S3 sink to coalesce small files. — Option A is correct because increasing the number of DynamoDB reads per segment increases parallelism when reading from DynamoDB. Option C is correct because increasing the number of DPUs (data processing units) allocated to the job increases parallelism. Option E is correct because using the 'groupFiles' option can reduce the number of small files written to S3, reducing write overhead. Option B is wrong because decreasing the batch size reduces throughput. Option D is wrong because disabling job bookmark may cause reprocessing but does not improve performance; it may actually degrade it.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This DEA-C01 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DEA-C01 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.