DVA-C02 Development with AWS Services Practice Question
A developer is writing code to upload an object to an Amazon S3 bucket. The object is 200 MB in size. Which AWS SDK method should the developer use to perform this upload?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers assume the PutObject API is sufficient for any object under 5 GB, but the AWS SDK best practice and the exam emphasize using multipart upload for objects over 100 MB to ensure reliability and performance.
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
✓
Use the multipart upload API.
Objects larger than 100 MB should be uploaded using the multipart upload API to improve throughput and provide resilience against network failures. The multipart upload API allows the 200 MB object to be split into parts, uploaded in parallel, and then assembled, which is more efficient and reliable than a single PutObject operation for objects over 5 GB or for large objects in general.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Enable S3 Transfer Acceleration and use the PutObject API.
Why it's wrong here
Enabling S3 Transfer Acceleration routes uploads through AWS edge locations, optimizing the network path to S3, which can reduce latency for clients geographically distant from the S3 bucket. However, Transfer Acceleration merely speeds up the transmission of data; it does not alter the fundamental PutObject operation's limitations. A single PutObject call still has a maximum object size of 5 GB and lacks the resilience and efficiency benefits of segmented uploads for very large files, making it unsuitable for robust large object uploads.
- ✗
Use the PutObject API operation.
Why it's wrong here
The PutObject API operation is designed for uploading objects up to 5 GB in a single HTTP request. While straightforward for smaller files, it becomes highly inefficient and unreliable for large objects. A network interruption during a PutObject operation would necessitate restarting the entire upload from the beginning, wasting bandwidth and time, and making it prone to failures for multi-gigabyte files.
- ✓
Use the multipart upload API.
Why this is correct
The S3 multipart upload API is the recommended and most robust method for uploading large objects to Amazon S3, particularly those exceeding 100 MB, and is mandatory for objects larger than 5 GB. This API breaks the object into smaller, manageable parts, which can be uploaded independently, in parallel, and even out of order. This approach significantly enhances upload speed, provides resilience against network failures (only failed parts need re-uploading), and allows for pausing and resuming uploads.
- ✗
Use a pre-signed URL and upload using HTTP PUT.
Why it's wrong here
Using a pre-signed URL for an HTTP PUT operation delegates temporary upload permissions to a client without exposing AWS credentials. However, the underlying mechanism for the actual data transfer is still a single PutObject operation. Consequently, it inherits the same limitations as a direct PutObject call, including the 5 GB maximum object size for a single upload and the lack of fault tolerance for large files, where any interruption requires restarting the entire upload.
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
This DVA-C02 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 DVA-C02 exam.