The answer is that the destination S3 bucket does not exist or the Lambda function's IAM role lacks permissions to write to it. This is because a ResourceNotFoundException specifically indicates that the target resource—in this case, the destination S3 bucket—cannot be found or accessed by the Lambda function, often due to a missing bucket name or insufficient write permissions in the execution role's policy. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of Lambda event-driven architectures and the common pitfalls when chaining S3 destinations, where candidates frequently confuse timeout errors with permission or existence issues. A key trap is assuming the source bucket's existence guarantees the destination bucket is valid, but the exam emphasizes that each resource must be independently verified. Memory tip: think "Destination Denied"—if the Lambda can't reach or write to the target bucket, you'll see a ResourceNotFoundException, not a timeout.
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 uses AWS Lambda to process events from an S3 bucket. The Lambda function writes transformed data to another S3 bucket. Occasionally, the Lambda invocation fails with 'ResourceNotFoundException'. 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
✓
The destination S3 bucket does not exist or the Lambda function's IAM role lacks permissions.
Option B is correct. The destination bucket may not exist or the Lambda function's IAM role lacks permissions to write to it. Option A is wrong because Lambda timeouts would cause 'Timeout' error. Option C is wrong because S3 event notifications are reliable. Option D is wrong because the source bucket exists since it triggered the event.
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 Lambda function timed out.
Why it's wrong here
A timeout would produce a different error (Task timed out).
✓
The destination S3 bucket does not exist or the Lambda function's IAM role lacks permissions.
Why this is correct
ResourceNotFoundException indicates missing resource or access denial.
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.
✗
The S3 event notification is misconfigured.
Why it's wrong here
If misconfigured, the Lambda would not be triggered at all.
✗
The source S3 bucket has versioning disabled.
Why it's wrong here
Versioning is not required for Lambda triggers.
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: The destination S3 bucket does not exist or the Lambda function's IAM role lacks permissions. — Option B is correct. The destination bucket may not exist or the Lambda function's IAM role lacks permissions to write to it. Option A is wrong because Lambda timeouts would cause 'Timeout' error. Option C is wrong because S3 event notifications are reliable. Option D is wrong because the source bucket exists since it triggered the event.
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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