AWS Glue Job Bookmarks Reprocessing Cause
Short answer
D The AWS Glue job script lacks the required job.commit() call to persist bookmark state.
Question
Key Takeaways
The question tests the mechanism of AWS Glue job bookmarks, with the common trap being confusion between IAM permissions and the script-level commit requirement for state persistence.
This page explains why an AWS Glue job reprocesses S3 files despite bookmarks being enabled, focusing on the critical role of the commit statement in tracking processed data.
Common mistake: Many candidates incorrectly choose Option A (missing s3:GetObjectAcl permission) because they assume a permissions issue is the primary cause of bookmark failures, whereas the absence of a commit statement is the direct script-level reason for reprocessing.
Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
The correct answer is D. In AWS Glue, job bookmarks track which data has been processed to prevent duplicate loads. However, this tracking relies on the Glue context object's commit method being explicitly called within the job script. If the script does not include job.commit, the bookmark information is never saved to the Glue metadata store, causing subsequent runs to treat all files as new.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A is incorrect because while permissions are necessary for Glue to function, the specific error of reprocessing existing files is directly caused by the lack of a commit, not ACL checks. Option B is irrelevant; concurrency settings affect parallelism but do not dictate bookmark state management. Option C is incorrect; using an older Glue version does not inherently break bookmarks if the script logic is correct.
Community Comment Notes
The community split between A and D, but the majority correctly identified D. As user 'proserv' noted, ensuring the job run script ends with job.commit is required to record the timestamp and path. User 'mohamedTR' correctly pointed out that commit statements relate to transactional operations and bookmark tracking, distinguishing it from simple file permissions.
Official Reference
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/glue/latest/dg/job-bookmarks.html
This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.
Exam Strategy
When troubleshooting AWS Glue job bookmarks, always check the script logic first. Ensure that job.commit() is present at the end of your ETL script to persist the bookmark state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn't s3:GetObjectAcl the cause?
Does concurrency affect bookmarks?
Community Votes
61% of anonymous learners picked answer D. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Discussion 13 contributions
Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.
From public community threads 13
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lool 👍 8 Answered Dhttps://docs.aws.amazon.com/glue/latest/dg/glue-troubleshooting-errors.html#error-job-bookmarks-reprocess-data
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antun3ra 👍 4 Answered AFor AWS Glue bookmarks to function correctly, the job needs the necessary permissions to read and write bookmark data, including the s3:GetObjectAcl permission. If these permissions are not correctly set, the job may not be able to track which files have already been processed, leading to reprocessing of previously processed files.
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Bmaster 👍 4D is good https://docs.aws.amazon.com/glue/latest/dg/glue-troubleshooting-errors.html#error-job-bookmarks-reprocess-data
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Alagong 👍 3 Answered AThe commit statement (Option D) is not required for AWS Glue jobs. AWS Glue commits any open transactions to the database when all the script statements finish running.
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proserv 👍 2 Answered DEnsure that your job run script ends with the following commit: job.commit() When you include this object, AWS Glue records the timestamp and path of the job run. If you run the job again with the same path, AWS Glue processes only the new files. If you don't include this object and job bookmarks are enabled, the job reprocesses the already processed files along with the new files and creates redundancy in the job's target data store. https://docs.aws.amazon.com/glue/latest/dg/glue-troubleshooting-errors.html#error-job-bookmarks-reprocess-data
Show 8 more comments
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AgboolaKun 👍 2 Answered DA "commit" statement within your AWS Glue job script is absolutely required to update the job bookmark and properly track processed data, preventing the reprocessing of old data when running the job again; essentially, if you don't include the commit statement, the job will not remember where it left off and may process data multiple times. For more information about job.commit(), please reference this documentation - https://docs.aws.amazon.com/glue/latest/dg/glue-troubleshooting-errors.html#error-job-bookmarks-reprocess-data
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mohamedTR 👍 2 Answered ACommit statements are relevant to transactional operations in databases like Redshift but are not related to S3 bookmarks or Glue’s tracking mechanism for processed files.
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andrologin 👍 2 Answered DAWS Glue Job requires the commit statement to save the last successful run/processing
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EJGisME 👍 1 Answered AA. The AWS Glue job does not have the s3:GetObjectAcl permission that is required for bookmarks to work correctly.
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mzansikiller 👍 1 Answered AAnswer A this is a job bookmarks permissions issue
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HunkyBunky 👍 3 Answered DFor me - D looks correct
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rsmf 👍 2 Answered DIt's B the right answer
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azure_bimonster 👍 1 Answered AI would go with A option
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