The correct answer is that the Glue job is using too many executors, exhausting the database connections. This happens because AWS Glue’s distributed processing model spawns multiple executors, each opening its own JDBC connection to the on-premises MySQL database; when the number of concurrent connections exceeds the database’s configured max_connections limit, the pool is exhausted and the job fails. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Glue’s parallelism interacts with external database constraints—a common trap is to blame network issues or Glue’s own connection pool, but the real culprit is the database’s capacity being overwhelmed by too many simultaneous connections. To fix it, reduce the number of DPUs or increase the database’s max_connections setting. Memory tip: think “more executors, more connections—don’t let your database drown in DPUs.”
DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data ingestion and transformation. 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 runs a nightly ETL job using AWS Glue. The job reads data from a JDBC connection to an on-premises MySQL database. The job fails with an error indicating that the connection pool is exhausted. What is the most likely cause and solution?
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
✓
The Glue job is using too many executors, exhausting the database connections. Reduce the number of DPUs or increase the database max connections.
Option A is correct because high parallelism in Glue creates many connections, overwhelming the database. Option B is wrong because network issues would cause timeouts, not pool exhaustion. Option C is wrong because Glue does not have connection pool limits. Option D is wrong because password rotation would cause authentication errors.
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 database is not reachable due to network issues. Check VPC and security groups.
Why it's wrong here
Network issues cause timeouts, not pool exhaustion.
✗
The Glue job is hitting the AWS Glue connection pool limit. Increase the Glue connection pool size.
Why it's wrong here
Glue does not have a connection pool limit.
✗
The database credentials are expired. Rotate the password in AWS Secrets Manager.
Why it's wrong here
Expired credentials cause authentication errors.
✓
The Glue job is using too many executors, exhausting the database connections. Reduce the number of DPUs or increase the database max connections.
Why this is correct
Glue can open multiple connections; reducing parallelism or scaling database helps.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
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 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 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: The Glue job is using too many executors, exhausting the database connections. Reduce the number of DPUs or increase the database max connections. — Option A is correct because high parallelism in Glue creates many connections, overwhelming the database. Option B is wrong because network issues would cause timeouts, not pool exhaustion. Option C is wrong because Glue does not have connection pool limits. Option D is wrong because password rotation would cause authentication errors.
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.
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?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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