CLF-C02 Cloud Technology and Services Practice Question
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?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers 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.
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.
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.
- ✗
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.
When this WOULD be correct
A company needs to transfer 10 TB of data from an on-premises NFS server to Amazon S3, has a high-speed internet connection (e.g., 1 Gbps), and wants to automate the transfer with minimal manual intervention. DataSync would be the correct choice for this online transfer scenario.
- ✗
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.
When this WOULD be correct
A company needs a consistent, low-latency connection to AWS for ongoing data transfer and has a high-bandwidth requirement that exceeds typical internet capabilities, with no need for physical device shipping.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The CLF-C02 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓AWS SnowballCorrect answer▾
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.
✗AWS DataSyncWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
AWS DataSync is a software-based data transfer service that moves data over the network, not via a physical device. The question explicitly requires a physical device to copy data and ship it to AWS, which DataSync cannot provide.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company needs to transfer 10 TB of data from an on-premises NFS server to Amazon S3, has a high-speed internet connection (e.g., 1 Gbps), and wants to automate the transfer with minimal manual intervention. DataSync would be the correct choice for this online transfer scenario.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse DataSync as a physical transfer solution because its name suggests 'sync' of large data, but they overlook that it operates over the network and does not involve shipping a device.
✗AWS Direct ConnectWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
AWS Direct Connect establishes a dedicated network connection from on-premises to AWS, but it does not involve a physical device for shipping data. The question explicitly requires a physical device to copy and ship data, which Direct Connect cannot provide.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company needs a consistent, low-latency connection to AWS for ongoing data transfer and has a high-bandwidth requirement that exceeds typical internet capabilities, with no need for physical device shipping.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think Direct Connect is suitable for large data transfers due to its high bandwidth and reliability, overlooking the requirement for a physical device to be shipped.
Analysis generated from the official CLF-C02blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
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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About these practice questions
One of 988 original CLF-C02 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.