- A
Enable job bookmarks in AWS Glue and use a column with timestamps as the bookmark key to read only incremental data.
Glue bookmarks track processed records; using a timestamp column allows incremental reads.
- B
Partition the table in the source database by date and read only the latest partition.
Why wrong: Partitioning helps but still reads the entire partition; not incremental if updates exist.
- C
Increase the number of Glue workers to improve parallel reads.
Why wrong: Speeds up full reads but does not reduce data volume; still reads entire table.
- D
Use Amazon Kinesis Data Streams to capture changes from PostgreSQL.
Why wrong: Kinesis requires additional setup (e.g., Kinesis adapter) and is for real-time, not batch.
Question 1,752 of 1,786
DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data ingestion and transformation. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 engineer is ingesting data from an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL database into Amazon S3 using AWS Glue. The Glue job reads the entire table each time it runs, which takes several hours. The team wants to reduce the job duration by reading only new or updated records. Which approach should the engineer adopt?
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
✓
Enable job bookmarks in AWS Glue and use a column with timestamps as the bookmark key to read only incremental data.
Option A is correct because AWS Glue job bookmarks track previously processed data using a specified column (e.g., a timestamp column) as the bookmark key. When enabled, the job reads only new or updated records since the last run, significantly reducing job duration by avoiding full table scans. This directly addresses the requirement to read incremental data from the PostgreSQL source.
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.
- ✓
Enable job bookmarks in AWS Glue and use a column with timestamps as the bookmark key to read only incremental data.
Why this is correct
Glue bookmarks track processed records; using a timestamp column allows incremental reads.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Partition the table in the source database by date and read only the latest partition.
Why it's wrong here
Partitioning helps but still reads the entire partition; not incremental if updates exist.
- ✗
Increase the number of Glue workers to improve parallel reads.
Why it's wrong here
Speeds up full reads but does not reduce data volume; still reads entire table.
- ✗
Use Amazon Kinesis Data Streams to capture changes from PostgreSQL.
Why it's wrong here
Kinesis requires additional setup (e.g., Kinesis adapter) and is for real-time, not batch.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse increasing parallelism (Option C) with reducing data volume, or assume that source-side partitioning (Option B) automatically translates to incremental reads in Glue, when in fact Glue job bookmarks are the native mechanism for incremental processing in batch jobs.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Glue job bookmarks work by storing state information (e.g., the last processed timestamp or offset) in a persistent metadata store. For JDBC sources like PostgreSQL, the bookmark key must be a monotonically increasing column (e.g., a timestamp or auto-incrementing ID) to ensure accurate incremental reads. A common pitfall is that if the source table has updates to existing rows (not just inserts), the bookmark key must reflect the update timestamp; otherwise, updated rows may be missed unless the job uses a combination of bookmark and custom logic (e.g., a change tracking column).
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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.
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 |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DEA-C01 question test?
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: Enable job bookmarks in AWS Glue and use a column with timestamps as the bookmark key to read only incremental data. — Option A is correct because AWS Glue job bookmarks track previously processed data using a specified column (e.g., a timestamp column) as the bookmark key. When enabled, the job reads only new or updated records since the last run, significantly reducing job duration by avoiding full table scans. This directly addresses the requirement to read incremental data from the PostgreSQL source.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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