DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
A data engineer is troubleshooting an AWS Glue ETL job that suddenly started failing with 'An error occurred while calling o103.pyWriteDynamicFrame. Unknown error'. The job writes data to an Amazon Redshift table. Which step should the engineer take FIRST?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Review the job's CloudWatch Logs for detailed error messages.
The error message 'An error occurred while calling o103.pyWriteDynamicFrame. Unknown error' is generic and does not specify the root cause. The first troubleshooting step should be to review the job's CloudWatch Logs, which provide detailed error messages, stack traces, and other diagnostic information. Option A is incorrect because recreating the table with a different distribution style is a premature action without understanding the cause. Option B is incorrect because testing with a small dataset may not reproduce the issue and is not the first step; logs can help determine if the issue is data-related. Option C is incorrect because updating the Redshift JDBC driver version is not the first step; log analysis should precede any changes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Recreate the Redshift table with a different distribution style.
Why it's wrong here
Recreating the table with a different distribution style is a premature action without understanding the cause.
- ✗
Test the job with a small sample dataset to isolate the issue.
Why it's wrong here
Testing with a small sample dataset may not reproduce the issue and is not the first step; logs can help determine if the issue is data-related.
- ✗
Update the Redshift JDBC driver version in the Glue job.
Why it's wrong here
Updating the JDBC driver version is not the first step; log analysis should precede any changes.
- ✓
Review the job's CloudWatch Logs for detailed error messages.
Why this is correct
The error message 'An error occurred while calling o103.pyWriteDynamicFrame. Unknown error' is generic and does not specify the root cause. The first troubleshooting step should be to review the job's CloudWatch Logs, which provide detailed error messages, stack traces, and other diagnostic information.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
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