DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
A data pipeline uses AWS Glue to process data from an S3 data lake. The pipeline fails intermittently with a 'ThrottlingException' when writing to a DynamoDB table. What is the MOST likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse ThrottlingException with permission errors (Option D) or network issues (Option B), but AWS specifically tests the understanding that DynamoDB throttling is a capacity management mechanism, not a connectivity or authorization problem.
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
✓
The DynamoDB table's write capacity is insufficient for the workload.
A ThrottlingException from DynamoDB indicates that the request rate to the table has exceeded the provisioned write capacity. AWS Glue jobs can generate high-throughput writes, and if the DynamoDB table's write capacity units (WCUs) are not sufficient to handle the burst, DynamoDB will throttle the requests. This is the most direct cause of the intermittent failure described.
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 DynamoDB table's write capacity is insufficient for the workload.
Why this is correct
ThrottlingException indicates the write capacity is exceeded; increasing capacity or using auto-scaling resolves it.
- ✗
The network connection between Glue and DynamoDB is unstable.
Why it's wrong here
Network issues cause connection timeouts, not ThrottlingException.
- ✗
The Glue job's timeout setting is too low.
Why it's wrong here
Job timeout causes the job to fail with a timeout error, not a ThrottlingException.
- ✗
The Glue job does not have sufficient IAM permissions to write to DynamoDB.
Why it's wrong here
Insufficient permissions cause AccessDeniedException, not ThrottlingException.
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 |
Go deeper
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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