- A
Use EMR instance fleets with a mix of Spot and On-Demand, but set the allocation strategy to 'lowest price'.
Why wrong: Lowest price may lead to more interruptions.
- B
Increase the number of core nodes using On-Demand instances.
Why wrong: Increases cost.
- C
Use only Spot Instances but enable automatic termination and checkpointing.
Why wrong: Still vulnerable to interruptions.
- D
Use EMR instance fleets with a mix of Spot and On-Demand, setting the allocation strategy to 'diversified' and using On-Demand for core nodes.
Diversified spreads risk; On-Demand core ensures stability.
Question 1,251 of 1,786
DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. 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 engineering team is using Amazon EMR to process large datasets stored in Amazon S3. The cluster uses Spot Instances for cost savings. During processing, the team notices that tasks are failing due to Spot Instance interruptions. The team needs to make the EMR job resilient to Spot interruptions without increasing costs significantly. Which solution should they implement?
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
✓
Use EMR instance fleets with a mix of Spot and On-Demand, setting the allocation strategy to 'diversified' and using On-Demand for core nodes.
Option D is correct because using EMR instance fleets with a mix of Spot and On-Demand, setting the allocation strategy to 'diversified', and using On-Demand for core nodes ensures resilience to Spot interruptions without significant cost increase. On-Demand core nodes provide stability for HDFS and critical processing, while diversified allocation for Spot task nodes reduces the risk of simultaneous interruptions. Option A is incorrect because the 'lowest price' allocation strategy prioritizes the cheapest Spot instances, which often have higher interruption rates, and does not protect core nodes. Option B is incorrect because increasing core nodes with On-Demand instances raises costs significantly. Option C is incorrect because using only Spot Instances with automatic termination and checkpointing does not prevent job failures during interruptions; automatic termination would terminate the job, and checkpointing only helps with recovery, not resilience.
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.
- ✗
Use EMR instance fleets with a mix of Spot and On-Demand, but set the allocation strategy to 'lowest price'.
Why it's wrong here
Lowest price may lead to more interruptions.
- ✗
Increase the number of core nodes using On-Demand instances.
Why it's wrong here
Increases cost.
- ✗
Use only Spot Instances but enable automatic termination and checkpointing.
Why it's wrong here
Still vulnerable to interruptions.
- ✓
Use EMR instance fleets with a mix of Spot and On-Demand, setting the allocation strategy to 'diversified' and using On-Demand for core nodes.
Why this is correct
Diversified spreads risk; On-Demand core ensures stability.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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 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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DEA-C01 question test?
Data Store Management — This question tests Data Store Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use EMR instance fleets with a mix of Spot and On-Demand, setting the allocation strategy to 'diversified' and using On-Demand for core nodes. — Option D is correct because using EMR instance fleets with a mix of Spot and On-Demand, setting the allocation strategy to 'diversified', and using On-Demand for core nodes ensures resilience to Spot interruptions without significant cost increase. On-Demand core nodes provide stability for HDFS and critical processing, while diversified allocation for Spot task nodes reduces the risk of simultaneous interruptions. Option A is incorrect because the 'lowest price' allocation strategy prioritizes the cheapest Spot instances, which often have higher interruption rates, and does not protect core nodes. Option B is incorrect because increasing core nodes with On-Demand instances raises costs significantly. Option C is incorrect because using only Spot Instances with automatic termination and checkpointing does not prevent job failures during interruptions; automatic termination would terminate the job, and checkpointing only helps with recovery, not resilience.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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