DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
A data engineer is using AWS Step Functions to orchestrate a series of AWS Glue jobs. One of the Glue jobs occasionally fails due to transient network issues. The engineer wants the Step Function to retry the failed Glue job up to 3 times with exponential backoff before failing the entire workflow. Which Step Functions state configuration should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is conflating AWS Glue's internal retry mechanism with Step Functions orchestration, leading to the selection of a Glue-level parameter instead of the Step Functions Retry field.
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
✓
Add a Retry field in the Task state with ErrorEquals matching the Glue job's error, MaxAttempts: 3, and BackoffRate: 2.0.
The Retry field in Step Functions Task states is specifically designed to handle transient errors by retrying the task with configurable attempts and backoff. Setting MaxAttempts to 3 and BackoffRate to 2.0 achieves up to three retries with exponential backoff. This is the standard, declarative approach and avoids custom orchestration logic. It also allows matching on specific error types, ensuring retries only occur for relevant failures.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Configure a Catch field in the Task state to transition to a Wait state, then loop back to the Glue job Task.
Why it's wrong here
Using Catch and a Wait state requires manual implementation of a retry loop, which is more complex and does not natively support exponential backoff. It also lacks built-in attempt counting. The Retry field is purpose-built for this use case and provides exponential backoff automatically, making it the simpler and more correct solution.
- ✗
Set the Glue job's MaximumRetries parameter to 3 in the job definition.
Why it's wrong here
The MaximumRetries parameter in AWS Glue applies to job retries within Glue itself, not to Step Functions orchestration. It does not provide exponential backoff and is not controlled by Step Functions. The requirement is for the Step Function to manage retries, so this option does not meet the scenario's needs.
- ✓
Add a Retry field in the Task state with ErrorEquals matching the Glue job's error, MaxAttempts: 3, and BackoffRate: 2.0.
Why this is correct
The Retry field in a Step Functions Task state allows specifying retry behavior for specific errors. Setting MaxAttempts to 3 and BackoffRate to 2.0 implements exponential backoff. This directly meets the requirement to retry up to 3 times with exponential backoff, and is the standard way to handle transient failures in Step Functions.
- ✗
Use a Map state to iterate over the Glue job three times with a Wait state in between.
Why it's wrong here
A Map state is designed for parallel processing of items, not sequential retries with backoff. Using it for retries would be inefficient and does not natively support exponential backoff or error matching. The Retry field is the correct and simpler mechanism for handling transient failures in Step Functions.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Amazon Web Services exam blueprint
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.