The answer is to decouple the Lambda function from the Glue job by sending a message to an SQS queue and using a separate Lambda to trigger the job asynchronously. This solves the Lambda timeout waiting for Glue job decouple SQS scenario because the first Lambda can immediately exit after publishing the message, while the second Lambda polls the queue and invokes the Glue job without being blocked by the job’s runtime. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this tests your understanding of asynchronous integration patterns and the importance of decoupling long-running processes from short-lived Lambda executions. A common trap is assuming you can simply increase the Lambda timeout, but that still ties the function to the job’s duration and risks hitting the 15-minute limit. Another trap is confusing concurrency limits with timeout issues. Remember the memory tip: “Queue it and leave it” — if a Lambda must wait for a downstream job, insert a queue to break the synchronous chain.
DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data ingestion and transformation. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 responsible for ingesting daily CSV files from an external partner into an Amazon S3 bucket. The partner uploads files to an AWS Transfer Family (SFTP) endpoint. Once a file is uploaded, an AWS Lambda function triggers an AWS Glue ETL job to transform the data and load it into an Amazon RDS database. Recently, some files have failed to trigger the Glue job because the Lambda function timed out while waiting for the Glue job to complete. The engineer needs to ensure that all files are processed reliably without manual intervention. What should the data engineer do?
Modify the Lambda function to send a message to an Amazon SQS queue after uploading, and create a separate Lambda function that reads from the queue and triggers the Glue job asynchronously.
Decoupling prevents timeout and ensures retries.
B
Increase the Lambda function timeout to 15 minutes to accommodate longer Glue jobs.
Why wrong: Glue jobs may exceed 15 minutes, still causing timeout.
C
Increase the Lambda function's reserved concurrency to allow multiple invocations.
Why wrong: Concurrency does not fix timeout issue.
D
Configure S3 event notifications to trigger the Glue job directly without Lambda.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Modify the Lambda function to send a message to an Amazon SQS queue after uploading, and create a separate Lambda function that reads from the queue and triggers the Glue job asynchronously.
Option A is correct because decoupling the Lambda function from the Glue job by using SQS allows the Lambda function to submit the job and exit, while a second Lambda function monitors completion. Option B is wrong because increasing Lambda timeout still ties it to job duration. Option C is wrong because the issue is not concurrency. Option D is wrong because increasing S3 events does not address the timeout.
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.
✓
Modify the Lambda function to send a message to an Amazon SQS queue after uploading, and create a separate Lambda function that reads from the queue and triggers the Glue job asynchronously.
Why this is correct
Decoupling prevents timeout and ensures retries.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Increase the Lambda function timeout to 15 minutes to accommodate longer Glue jobs.
Why it's wrong here
Glue jobs may exceed 15 minutes, still causing timeout.
✗
Increase the Lambda function's reserved concurrency to allow multiple invocations.
Why it's wrong here
Concurrency does not fix timeout issue.
✗
Configure S3 event notifications to trigger the Glue job directly without Lambda.
Why it's wrong here
S3 cannot directly trigger Glue jobs.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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 Ingestion and Transformation — This question tests Data Ingestion and Transformation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Modify the Lambda function to send a message to an Amazon SQS queue after uploading, and create a separate Lambda function that reads from the queue and triggers the Glue job asynchronously. — Option A is correct because decoupling the Lambda function from the Glue job by using SQS allows the Lambda function to submit the job and exit, while a second Lambda function monitors completion. Option B is wrong because increasing Lambda timeout still ties it to job duration. Option C is wrong because the issue is not concurrency. Option D is wrong because increasing S3 events does not address the timeout.
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.
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Question Discussion
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