- A
Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS)
Why wrong: SQS is not designed for streaming to S3; requires a consumer to poll and write.
- B
Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose
Firehose can buffer and invoke Lambda for transformation, then deliver to S3.
- C
AWS Lambda
Lambda can be used to transform data in Firehose or as a consumer.
- D
AWS Glue ETL
Why wrong: Glue is batch-oriented and not ideal for near-real-time buffering.
- E
Amazon Kinesis Data Streams
Why wrong: Data Streams requires a consumer application, adding complexity.
Question 1,487 of 1,786
Using Kinesis Data Firehose with Lambda for Streaming Transformations
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data ingestion and transformation. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 designing a data ingestion pipeline for clickstream data. The data arrives in batches of 10-50 MB every 5 seconds. The engineer needs to buffer the data, perform simple transformations (e.g., add timestamp, remove PII), and land it in S3 within 10 minutes. Which TWO services should be combined? (Choose TWO.)
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
✓
Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose
Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose is the correct choice because it is a fully managed service designed to ingest streaming data, buffer it, perform simple transformations (such as adding timestamps or removing PII) via built-in Lambda functions, and automatically deliver the data to S3. It can handle the 10-50 MB batches every 5 seconds and meet the 10-minute delivery window without requiring custom code for buffering or delivery.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS)
Why it's wrong here
SQS is not designed for streaming to S3; requires a consumer to poll and write.
- ✓
Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose
Why this is correct
Firehose can buffer and invoke Lambda for transformation, then deliver to S3.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
AWS Lambda
Why this is correct
Lambda can be used to transform data in Firehose or as a consumer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS Glue ETL
Why it's wrong here
Glue is batch-oriented and not ideal for near-real-time buffering.
- ✗
Amazon Kinesis Data Streams
Why it's wrong here
Data Streams requires a consumer application, adding complexity.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The DEA-C01 exam often tests the distinction between Kinesis Data Streams (raw streaming, custom consumers) and Kinesis Data Firehose (managed ingestion with built-in transformation and delivery), leading candidates to mistakenly choose Data Streams when Firehose is the simpler, correct choice for this pipeline.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Kinesis Data Firehose uses a configurable buffer size (up to 128 MB) and buffer interval (up to 900 seconds) to accumulate records before invoking a Lambda function for transformation; the transformed data is then delivered to S3 in near-real-time. Under the hood, Firehose automatically retries failed transformations and can compress data (e.g., GZIP) before landing, which is critical for cost optimization in high-volume clickstream pipelines. A real-world scenario involves ingesting ad-click data where PII like IP addresses must be hashed before storage, and Firehose's Lambda integration handles this without custom infrastructure.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
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 |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Data Ingestion and Transformation — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DEA-C01 question test?
Data Ingestion and Transformation — This question tests Data Ingestion and Transformation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose — Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose is the correct choice because it is a fully managed service designed to ingest streaming data, buffer it, perform simple transformations (such as adding timestamps or removing PII) via built-in Lambda functions, and automatically deliver the data to S3. It can handle the 10-50 MB batches every 5 seconds and meet the 10-minute delivery window without requiring custom code for buffering or delivery.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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