The answer is a concurrent delete operation, where another process removes the file after Athena lists the S3 bucket contents but before the query engine reads the split. This race condition causes the HIVE_CANNOT_OPEN_SPLIT error because Athena’s split enumeration and file reading are not atomic—the path exists at listing time but vanishes by read time, even though S3 is strongly consistent for new objects. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how distributed query engines handle transient state, often appearing as a trap where candidates blame permissions or metadata. A common memory tip: think of it as a “snapshot vs. reality” mismatch—Athena’s query plan is a frozen list of files, and any deletion after that snapshot breaks the split. Remember the mnemonic “List then Lost” to recall that the error stems from timing, not access or schema issues.
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 company uses Amazon Athena to query data in an S3 bucket. A data engineer notices that a query fails with the error: 'HIVE_CANNOT_OPEN_SPLIT: Error opening Hive split s3://bucket/path/file.parquet (Path does not exist)'. However, the file exists in S3. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Another process deleted the file after Athena listed the files but before reading.
Option C is correct because concurrent delete operations can cause a split to be read after deletion. Option A is incorrect because the error mentions the file path, not table metadata. Option B is incorrect because ACLs would cause permission errors. Option D is incorrect because S3 is strongly consistent for new objects but deletions can race.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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 file was uploaded using S3 multipart upload and is incomplete.
Why it's wrong here
Incomplete uploads would not be listed.
✗
The table's metadata in the Glue Data Catalog is outdated.
Why it's wrong here
Metadata issues cause different errors.
✗
The S3 bucket has a bucket policy that denies access to the Athena principal.
Why it's wrong here
Permission errors are different.
✓
Another process deleted the file after Athena listed the files but before reading.
Why this is correct
Eventual consistency for deletions can cause this.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DEA-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Data Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Another process deleted the file after Athena listed the files but before reading. — Option C is correct because concurrent delete operations can cause a split to be read after deletion. Option A is incorrect because the error mentions the file path, not table metadata. Option B is incorrect because ACLs would cause permission errors. Option D is incorrect because S3 is strongly consistent for new objects but deletions can race.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DEA-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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