The correct answer is Amazon Kinesis Data Streams with AWS Lambda to write to Amazon S3, and Amazon Athena for queries. Kinesis Data Streams is purpose-built to absorb and buffer clickstream spikes of up to 10x normal throughput without data loss, while Lambda acts as a lightweight consumer that writes records to S3 in near-real time, and Athena directly queries that data using standard SQL. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of streaming ingestion patterns versus batch or pull-based alternatives—a common trap is choosing SQS, which requires Lambda to poll and adds latency, or Glue, which is batch-oriented and unsuitable for low-latency requirements. Remember the memory tip: “Spikes need streams, not queues or batches”—Kinesis scales automatically, Lambda writes, Athena queries.
DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data ingestion and transformation. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 designing a data ingestion pipeline for real-time clickstream data from a website. The data must be stored in Amazon S3 in near-real time, and also be available for real-time analytics using Amazon Athena. The pipeline must handle occasional spikes of up to 10x the normal throughput. Which combination of services should the engineer use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Amazon Kinesis Data Streams with AWS Lambda to write to Amazon S3, and Amazon Athena for queries.
Option A is correct because Kinesis Data Streams can handle high throughput spikes, Lambda can process and write to S3, and Athena can query directly. Option B is wrong because SQS is pull-based and does not support push to S3 directly; Lambda would need to poll, adding latency. Option C is wrong because DMS is for database migration, not real-time clickstream. Option D is wrong because Glue is batch-oriented and not suitable for low-latency streaming.
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.
✗
Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS) with AWS Lambda to write to Amazon S3, and Amazon Athena for queries.
Why it's wrong here
SQS requires polling, adding latency and complexity.
✗
AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to stream data to Amazon S3, and Amazon Athena for queries.
Why it's wrong here
DMS is for database migration, not clickstream.
✓
Amazon Kinesis Data Streams with AWS Lambda to write to Amazon S3, and Amazon Athena for queries.
Why this is correct
Kinesis handles spikes, Lambda writes to S3, Athena queries.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose with AWS Glue for transformation, and Amazon Athena for queries.
Why it's wrong here
Firehose is simpler but Glue adds batch-oriented processing, not real-time.
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 Ingestion and Transformation — This question tests Data Ingestion and Transformation — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Amazon Kinesis Data Streams with AWS Lambda to write to Amazon S3, and Amazon Athena for queries. — Option A is correct because Kinesis Data Streams can handle high throughput spikes, Lambda can process and write to S3, and Athena can query directly. Option B is wrong because SQS is pull-based and does not support push to S3 directly; Lambda would need to poll, adding latency. Option C is wrong because DMS is for database migration, not real-time clickstream. Option D is wrong because Glue is batch-oriented and not suitable for low-latency streaming.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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