The answer is configuring checkpointing to prevent data loss on failure, using multiple workers for parallelism, and ensuring sufficient shards for throughput. Checkpointing is critical because it tracks the exact position in the stream, enabling exactly-once processing semantics and recovery after a job restart without data duplication or loss. Multiple workers allow the Glue streaming job to consume from multiple Kinesis shards in parallel, scaling horizontally to handle high-volume data, while sufficient shards ensure the stream itself can deliver the required throughput without throttling. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of the fundamental differences between batch and streaming ETL—a common trap is confusing streaming-specific configurations with batch settings, such as assuming batch window sizes apply here. Remember the mnemonic "CPS": Checkpointing, Parallelism, and Shards are the three pillars for reliable Glue streaming from Kinesis.
DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data operations and support. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Which THREE considerations are important when designing a data pipeline that uses AWS Glue to process streaming data from Amazon Kinesis Data Streams? (Choose 3.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Set the number of Glue workers to match the number of shards for optimal parallelism
A, B, and D are correct. A: Checkpointing ensures exactly-once processing. B: Multiple workers for parallelism. D: Sufficient shards for throughput. C (batch mode) is not streaming. E (data format) is not Glue-specific for streaming.
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.
✓
Set the number of Glue workers to match the number of shards for optimal parallelism
Why this is correct
Each worker can consume one shard.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Ensure the Kinesis stream has enough shards to handle the expected record rate
Why this is correct
Shard count determines throughput.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Configure checkpointing to prevent data loss on failure
Why this is correct
Checkpointing allows resume from last processed record.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use batch window to accumulate data before processing
Why it's wrong here
Streaming processing should be near real-time, not batch window.
✗
Convert data to Avro format for better compression
Why it's wrong here
Data format choice is independent of streaming considerations.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Data Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set the number of Glue workers to match the number of shards for optimal parallelism — A, B, and D are correct. A: Checkpointing ensures exactly-once processing. B: Multiple workers for parallelism. D: Sufficient shards for throughput. C (batch mode) is not streaming. E (data format) is not Glue-specific for streaming.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.