The most likely cause is that the output S3 path does not exist and the Glue job lacks permission to create it. When AWS Glue ETL jobs write to S3, they require the target bucket and prefix to already exist unless the IAM role grants the s3:PutObject and s3:ListBucket actions along with the ability to create directories implicitly; if the path is missing, the job throws a “No such file or directory” error rather than a permissions denial. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Glue interacts with S3 write operations and IAM policies—a common trap is confusing this error with a missing IAM role, which would instead produce an Access Denied message. Remember the mnemonic “Path before Put”: always verify the S3 output directory exists or that the role has permission to create it, as Glue does not auto-create missing prefixes.
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 data engineer is troubleshooting an AWS Glue ETL job that fails with the error: 'An error occurred while calling o137.pyWriteDynamicFrame. No such file or directory: s3://bucket/output/part-00000.parquet'. The job reads from a JDBC source and writes to S3. 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 output S3 path does not exist and the Glue job does not have permission to create it
Option A is correct because the error indicates the output path does not exist; the Glue job may not have permission to create the directory if the bucket or prefix does not exist. Option B (IAM role) would cause a permissions error, not 'No such file or directory'. Option C (schema mismatch) would cause a different error. Option D (memory) would cause out-of-memory or timeout errors.
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 schema of the source data has changed, causing a mismatch during write
Why it's wrong here
Would cause schema-related error, not file not found.
✓
The output S3 path does not exist and the Glue job does not have permission to create it
Why this is correct
The error message indicates missing directory; Glue may not auto-create if permissions are insufficient.
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 Glue job ran out of memory during the transformation phase
Why it's wrong here
Memory errors produce different error messages.
✗
The IAM role attached to the Glue job lacks permissions to read from the JDBC source
Why it's wrong here
Would cause a different error (access denied).
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 output S3 path does not exist and the Glue job does not have permission to create it — Option A is correct because the error indicates the output path does not exist; the Glue job may not have permission to create the directory if the bucket or prefix does not exist. Option B (IAM role) would cause a permissions error, not 'No such file or directory'. Option C (schema mismatch) would cause a different error. Option D (memory) would cause out-of-memory or timeout errors.
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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