DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data operations and support. 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.
A data pipeline uses AWS Glue to run ETL jobs that read from and write to an Amazon Redshift cluster. The pipeline recently started failing with the error 'ERROR: cannot execute INSERT in a read-only transaction'. The Glue job's IAM role has the necessary permissions. What could be the cause of this error?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The Glue job is using a transaction that was opened in read-only mode.
Option D is correct because Redshift uses a read-only transaction when connected via a read-only workload or if the connection string specifies auto_commit=False and the job tries to write without committing. Option A is wrong because insufficient permissions would cause a different error. Option B is wrong because Redshift is not in read-only mode. Option C is wrong because Glue connections do not have a read-only setting.
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 Glue job is using a transaction that was opened in read-only mode.
Why this is correct
If auto_commit=False and the first operation is a SELECT, the session becomes read-only; subsequent INSERT fails.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The Redshift cluster is in read-only mode due to maintenance.
Why it's wrong here
Redshift maintenance does not put the cluster in read-only mode.
✗
The Glue connection is configured with 'read-only' set to true.
Why it's wrong here
Glue connections do not have a read-only property.
✗
The Glue job's IAM role does not have sufficient Redshift permissions.
Why it's wrong here
The role has necessary permissions; the error is about transaction state, not authorization.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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 Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The Glue job is using a transaction that was opened in read-only mode. — Option D is correct because Redshift uses a read-only transaction when connected via a read-only workload or if the connection string specifies auto_commit=False and the job tries to write without committing. Option A is wrong because insufficient permissions would cause a different error. Option B is wrong because Redshift is not in read-only mode. Option C is wrong because Glue connections do not have a read-only setting.
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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Question Discussion
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