DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
A data engineer manages an AWS Glue ETL job that processes JSON files from Amazon S3 and writes to Amazon Redshift. The job fails with the error 'Unable to find a suitable JDBC driver in the classpath'. The engineer has included the Redshift JDBC driver as a job parameter in the Glue job configuration. Which step should the engineer take to resolve the error?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that adding the JDBC driver as a job parameter or connection option automatically makes it available to the job's classpath.
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 the JDBC driver as an additional jar in the Glue job's 'Dependent jars path' and ensure the job's IAM role has s3:GetObject permission on the jar location.
To use a custom JDBC driver with AWS Glue, you must upload the driver jar to Amazon S3 and specify its path in the job's 'Dependent jars path' parameter. Additionally, the IAM role associated with the job must have s3:GetObject permission for that jar. This ensures the driver is available in the classpath at runtime, resolving the 'Unable to find a suitable JDBC driver' error.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Add the JDBC driver as an additional jar in the Glue job's 'Dependent jars path' and ensure the job's IAM role has s3:GetObject permission on the jar location.
Why this is correct
AWS Glue requires that JDBC drivers be provided as additional jars via the 'Dependent jars path' and accessible from S3. Simply setting a connection parameter is insufficient. The job's IAM role must also have permission to read the jar from S3. This is the documented approach for using custom JDBC drivers with Glue.
- ✗
Modify the job script to include the JDBC driver URL directly in the 'connection_options' when calling the write_dynamic_frame method.
Why it's wrong here
The write_dynamic_frame method does not accept a JDBC driver URL parameter. Connection options for JDBC are configured in the Glue connection, but the driver itself must be in the classpath. Specifying a URL in code will not load the driver; the error would persist because the class is not found by the JVM.
- ✗
Increase the number of workers in the Glue job to ensure the driver is loaded in parallel across all executors.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing the number of workers does not address classpath issues. The error is about the driver not being found, not about insufficient resources. Adding workers only scales compute capacity and does not ensure the JDBC driver is available to the job's classpath. This change would not resolve the missing driver error.
- ✗
Convert the Glue job to use a development endpoint and manually install the JDBC driver on the underlying EC2 instance.
Why it's wrong here
Development endpoints are for interactive development, not for production ETL jobs. Manually installing drivers on a development endpoint does not affect the Glue job's execution environment, which runs in a separate, managed environment. This approach would not resolve the classpath error for the actual job runs.
Visual reference
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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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.