DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. A data engineer runs a Glue job manually and receives a ThrottlingException. The engineer checks the job run history and sees a previous failure with the same error. What is the MOST likely cause of the throttling, and which solution is MOST appropriate?
⚠ Common exam trap
DEA-C01 often tests the confusion between performance tuning (DPUs) and API throttling, leading candidates to choose DPU increases when the real issue is request rate limiting.
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
✓
Implement retry logic with exponential backoff in the script that calls start-job-run.
A ThrottlingException from AWS Glue typically occurs when the StartJobRun API is called too frequently, exceeding the service's request rate limits. Implementing retry logic with exponential backoff in the calling script is the standard AWS-recommended solution to handle transient throttling gracefully. This allows the job to start successfully after a short delay without manual intervention.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Increase the number of DPUs for the job to reduce runtime.
Why it's wrong here
Adding DPUs scales compute for data processing and shortens runtime, but does not raise the API request quota that triggered the ThrottlingException. It would help a slow, resource-bound job, yet the error indicates exceeded service limits, so requesting a quota increase is the appropriate remedy.
- ✓
Implement retry logic with exponential backoff in the script that calls start-job-run.
Why this is correct
ThrottlingException arises when start-job-run calls exceed the Glue API request rate. Retry logic with exponential backoff spaces repeated calls progressively, allowing the request rate to fall within limits and the job to start successfully without manual intervention.
- ✗
Use AWS Glue reserved capacity to guarantee API throughput.
Why it's wrong here
Reserved capacity guarantees DPU availability for Glue jobs, not API request throughput, so it cannot resolve a ThrottlingException. It would suit predictable, high-volume workloads needing consistent compute, but the throttling stems from exceeding service quotas, which require a quota increase request.
- ✗
Delete old job runs to reduce the number of entries in the job run history.
Why it's wrong here
Deleting job run history removes only metadata records; it cannot reduce the concurrent Glue job or DPU capacity that triggers ThrottlingException. Pruning history is tempting for tidiness or audit limits, but the fix requires raising the account's concurrent job run limit or reducing simultaneous runs.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Amazon Web Services exam blueprint
This DEA-C01 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DEA-C01 exam.