The answer is that the IAM policy lacks permissions for CloudWatch Logs, specifically logs:CreateLogGroup, logs:CreateLogStream, and logs:PutLogEvents. AWS Glue crawlers require these permissions to write operational logs to CloudWatch Logs, and without them, the crawler fails with an access denied error even if it has correct S3 and Glue Data Catalog permissions. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this tests your understanding that Glue crawlers are not silent—they must report their progress and errors to CloudWatch, and the IAM role must explicitly allow this logging. A common trap is assuming that only S3 read access and Glue catalog write access are needed, but the crawler’s internal logging dependency is often overlooked. Remember the mnemonic: “Crawlers need to Log, Group, and Stream” to recall the three required CloudWatch Logs actions.
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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
IAM policy for an IAM role used by an AWS Glue crawler:
```json
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [
"s3:GetObject",
"s3:ListBucket"
],
"Resource": [
"arn:aws:s3:::my-data-lake/*",
"arn:aws:s3:::my-data-lake"
]
},
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [
"glue:GetDatabase",
"glue:CreateTable",
"glue:UpdateTable",
"glue:DeleteTable"
],
"Resource": "*"
}
]
}
```
A data engineer runs an AWS Glue crawler that is configured to crawl an S3 bucket named 'my-data-lake' and update the Glue Data Catalog. The crawler fails with an access denied error. The IAM role attached to the crawler has the policy shown in the exhibit. What is the likely cause of the failure?
Refer to the exhibit.
IAM policy for an IAM role used by an AWS Glue crawler:
```json
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [
"s3:GetObject",
"s3:ListBucket"
],
"Resource": [
"arn:aws:s3:::my-data-lake/*",
"arn:aws:s3:::my-data-lake"
]
},
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [
"glue:GetDatabase",
"glue:CreateTable",
"glue:UpdateTable",
"glue:DeleteTable"
],
"Resource": "*"
}
]
}
```
A
The policy does not allow glue:CreateTable on the 'my-data-lake' database.
Why wrong: The policy allows glue:CreateTable on all resources ("*").
B
The policy does not allow s3:PutObject on the 'my-data-lake' bucket.
Why wrong: The crawler only reads from S3, it does not write to S3.
C
The policy does not allow logging to CloudWatch Logs.
Glue crawlers require permissions to create log groups and streams and write logs; the policy lacks logs:CreateLogGroup, logs:CreateLogStream, and logs:PutLogEvents.
D
The policy does not allow s3:ListBucket on the 'my-data-lake' bucket.
Why wrong: The policy includes s3:ListBucket on the bucket ARN.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The policy does not allow logging to CloudWatch Logs.
Option B is correct because the crawler needs permission to write logs to CloudWatch Logs; the policy does not include logs:CreateLogGroup, logs:CreateLogStream, and logs:PutLogEvents. Option A is wrong because the policy includes s3:ListBucket on the bucket and s3:GetObject on the bucket contents. Option C is wrong because the policy includes glue:CreateTable and glue:UpdateTable. Option D is wrong because the crawler does not need to write to S3.
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.
✗
The policy does not allow glue:CreateTable on the 'my-data-lake' database.
Why it's wrong here
The policy allows glue:CreateTable on all resources ("*").
✗
The policy does not allow s3:PutObject on the 'my-data-lake' bucket.
Why it's wrong here
The crawler only reads from S3, it does not write to S3.
✓
The policy does not allow logging to CloudWatch Logs.
Why this is correct
Glue crawlers require permissions to create log groups and streams and write logs; the policy lacks logs:CreateLogGroup, logs:CreateLogStream, and logs:PutLogEvents.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The policy does not allow s3:ListBucket on the 'my-data-lake' bucket.
Why it's wrong here
The policy includes s3:ListBucket on the bucket ARN.
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 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: The policy does not allow logging to CloudWatch Logs. — Option B is correct because the crawler needs permission to write logs to CloudWatch Logs; the policy does not include logs:CreateLogGroup, logs:CreateLogStream, and logs:PutLogEvents. Option A is wrong because the policy includes s3:ListBucket on the bucket and s3:GetObject on the bucket contents. Option C is wrong because the policy includes glue:CreateTable and glue:UpdateTable. Option D is wrong because the crawler does not need to write to S3.
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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