DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
Exhibit
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [
"s3:GetObject",
"s3:PutObject"
],
"Resource": [
"arn:aws:s3:::my-data-bucket/*"
]
},
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [
"glue:StartJobRun",
"glue:GetJobRun"
],
"Resource": "*"
}
]
}Refer to the exhibit. A data engineer is troubleshooting an AWS Glue ETL job that fails with an access denied error when writing to S3. The IAM role attached to the Glue job has the policy shown. What is the most likely cause of the error?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often overlook the explicit resource ARN in the policy and assume the error is due to missing permissions like `s3:ListBucket` or KMS, when the real issue is a bucket name mismatch in the resource specification.
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
✓
The Glue job is writing to an S3 bucket that is not included in the Resource ARN
The IAM policy shown in the exhibit explicitly restricts the `s3:PutObject` action to a specific ARN pattern (e.g., `arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket/*`). If the Glue job attempts to write to a different S3 bucket—one not matching that ARN—the request will be denied with an access denied error. AWS Glue ETL jobs use the attached IAM role's permissions, and a mismatch between the target bucket and the resource ARN in the policy is the most common cause of such failures.
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 Glue job is missing the s3:ListBucket permission on the bucket
Why it's wrong here
ListBucket governs listing objects in the bucket, not the PutObject write itself, so its absence cannot cause the write denial. It is tempting because ListBucket is frequently omitted from policies, and it would be correct if the job failed while enumerating bucket contents.
- ✓
The Glue job is writing to an S3 bucket that is not included in the Resource ARN
Why this is correct
S3 access is granted per bucket ARN in the IAM policy. If the Glue job's target bucket falls outside the Resource ARN, the write is denied even though the role itself is valid. The error is authorisation scope, not credentials or networking.
- ✗
The S3 bucket is encrypted with AWS KMS and the policy does not include kms:Decrypt permissions
Why it's wrong here
KMS Decrypt applies to reading KMS-encrypted objects; the failure occurs when writing to S3, which requires kms:GenerateDataKey instead. It is tempting because KMS key policies commonly cause access denied, and it would be correct if the job were reading encrypted data.
- ✗
The Glue job does not have permission to call glue:StartJobRun
Why it's wrong here
StartJobRun governs triggering the job, not writing objects to S3, so it cannot explain the write failure. It is tempting because Glue permissions are commonly misconfigured, and it would be correct if the job failed to start rather than failing during the S3 write.
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 |
Go deeper
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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