DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. A data engineer runs the command on an object in S3. The engineer expected the object to have a tag 'type=raw' but sees no metadata. What is the likely cause?
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
✓
Object tags are not returned by head-object; use get-object-tagging instead
The head-object command does not return object tags; you must use the get-object-tagging command to retrieve tags. Option B is incorrect because the head-object command succeeds regardless of region, and region does not affect tag visibility. Option C is incorrect because bucket policies can deny access but do not prevent tags from being returned by head-object; they would affect get-object-tagging instead. Option D is incorrect because lifecycle rules do not remove tags from objects; they may transition or expire objects but do not strip metadata.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Object tags are not returned by head-object; use get-object-tagging instead
Why this is correct
HeadObject returns object metadata and system headers, not the object's tag set, so the engineer sees no 'type=raw' tag despite it existing. GetObjectTagging is the API that retrieves tags, satisfying the expectation of confirming the object's tagging.
- ✗
The S3 bucket is in a different AWS Region
Why it's wrong here
Cross-Region bucket placement does not strip object tags; GetObjectTagging is a regional API call that returns tags regardless of where the caller sits. It is tempting because Region mismatches do cause failures for some S3 features, but tagging is not one of them — the missing 'type=raw' tag points to the tag never being applied or overwritten.
- ✗
The bucket policy blocks reading tags
Why it's wrong here
A bucket policy restricting s3:GetObjectTagging would cause an AccessDenied error, not silently empty metadata; the engineer's command returned without tags. It is tempting because bucket policies do govern tag visibility, and tightening them is correct when unauthorised principals must be prevented from reading object tags.
- ✗
The object was created without tags because of lifecycle rules
Why it's wrong here
Lifecycle rules transition or expire objects; they do not strip tags during creation, so the object would still carry 'type=raw'. It is tempting because lifecycle configuration does alter object metadata such as storage class, and it is correct when tags must be added or removed automatically as objects age.
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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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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