- A
AWS Snowball
Correct. AWS Snowball is a physical device service for offline data transfer. It is ideal for moving large datasets (terabytes to petabytes) when network bandwidth is limited, costly, or unavailable. The device is shipped to the customer, data is copied locally, and the device is returned to AWS for ingestion into Amazon S3.
- B
AWS DataSync
Why wrong: Incorrect. AWS DataSync is an online data transfer service that uses agents installed on premises to copy data over the network. It does not use physical devices and would still be constrained by the 100 Mbps internet connection, potentially impacting business operations during transfer.
- C
Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration
Why wrong: Incorrect. S3 Transfer Acceleration uses AWS edge locations to accelerate uploads over the public internet, but it still depends on the available network bandwidth (100 Mbps) and does not provide a physical device for offline transfer.
- D
AWS Direct Connect
Why wrong: Incorrect. AWS Direct Connect establishes a dedicated private network connection from the on-premises data center to AWS. While it offers consistent bandwidth, it requires a physical fiber connection and is not a portable device. The limited 100 Mbps internet connection would not be relevant, but the company would need to order and provision a new circuit, which is a different solution than using a physical device for offline transfer.
Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Snowball, the correct choice for transferring large data to S3 with a physical device when you have slow internet. With 50 TB of data and a 100 Mbps connection, a network transfer would take roughly 46 days and completely saturate your bandwidth, halting daily operations. Snowball bypasses this bottleneck entirely by providing a rugged, secure physical device you load with data on-premises and ship to AWS for ingestion, making it ideal for petabyte-scale migrations over unreliable networks. On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of hybrid storage services and when to choose physical transport over online methods like AWS DataSync or S3 Transfer Acceleration. A common trap is confusing Snowball with Snowmobile (for exabyte-scale) or overlooking that Snowball Edge adds compute capabilities. Remember the memory tip: “When your network is too slow, let a Snowball go.”
CLF-C02 Cloud Technology and Services Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cloud technology and services. 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.
A company has 50 TB of on-premises file server data that must be transferred to Amazon S3. The company's internet connection is limited to 100 Mbps, and the data transfer must not impact daily business operations. The company needs a physical device to securely copy the data and then ship it to AWS for ingestion. Which AWS service should the company use?
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
AWS Snowball
AWS Snowball is a physical data transport solution designed for large-scale data transfers when network bandwidth is limited or unreliable. With 50 TB of data and a 100 Mbps connection, transferring over the network would take approximately 46 days and saturate the link, impacting business operations. Snowball provides a rugged, secure device that you copy data to locally and ship to AWS, bypassing the network entirely.
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.
- ✓
AWS Snowball
Why this is correct
Correct. AWS Snowball is a physical device service for offline data transfer. It is ideal for moving large datasets (terabytes to petabytes) when network bandwidth is limited, costly, or unavailable. The device is shipped to the customer, data is copied locally, and the device is returned to AWS for ingestion into Amazon S3.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS DataSync
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. AWS DataSync is an online data transfer service that uses agents installed on premises to copy data over the network. It does not use physical devices and would still be constrained by the 100 Mbps internet connection, potentially impacting business operations during transfer.
- ✗
Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. S3 Transfer Acceleration uses AWS edge locations to accelerate uploads over the public internet, but it still depends on the available network bandwidth (100 Mbps) and does not provide a physical device for offline transfer.
- ✗
AWS Direct Connect
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. AWS Direct Connect establishes a dedicated private network connection from the on-premises data center to AWS. While it offers consistent bandwidth, it requires a physical fiber connection and is not a portable device. The limited 100 Mbps internet connection would not be relevant, but the company would need to order and provision a new circuit, which is a different solution than using a physical device for offline transfer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may choose DataSync or S3 Transfer Acceleration because they are familiar AWS data transfer services, but they overlook the explicit requirement for a physical device and the need to avoid impacting business operations on a low-bandwidth link.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Snowball uses hardware-encrypted devices with tamper-resistant enclosures and a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to ensure data security during transit. The device supports both S3-compatible endpoints and the Snowball client for parallel data transfer, achieving speeds of up to 1 Gbps over local network. In scenarios with extremely large datasets (petabytes) or very slow connections, Snowmobile (a shipping container) may be used instead.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Cloud Technology and Services — This question tests Cloud Technology and Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Snowball — AWS Snowball is a physical data transport solution designed for large-scale data transfers when network bandwidth is limited or unreliable. With 50 TB of data and a 100 Mbps connection, transferring over the network would take approximately 46 days and saturate the link, impacting business operations. Snowball provides a rugged, secure device that you copy data to locally and ship to AWS, bypassing the network entirely.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 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.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This CLF-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 CLF-C02 exam.
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