- A
AWS Snowball Edge
Correct. AWS Snowball Edge is a physical device that can be ordered, loaded with data on-premises, and shipped to AWS for ingestion into S3. This bypasses network limitations and meets the 2-week timeline.
- B
AWS DataSync
Why wrong: Incorrect. AWS DataSync is a network-based transfer service. At 10 Mbps upload speed, transferring 50 TB would take over a year, far exceeding the 2-week requirement.
- C
AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway)
Why wrong: Incorrect. File Gateway provides low-latency access to S3 over the network, but it still requires data to traverse the internet. The limited bandwidth makes it unsuitable for a one-time bulk transfer within 2 weeks.
- D
AWS Direct Connect
Why wrong: Incorrect. AWS Direct Connect establishes a dedicated network connection between on-premises and AWS. However, provisioning a new Direct Connect connection typically takes weeks to months, and it is designed for ongoing workloads, not a single large data transfer.
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 historical data stored on on-premises network-attached storage (NAS). The company wants to transfer this data to Amazon S3. The internet connection provides only 10 Mbps upload speed, and the company wants to complete the transfer within 2 weeks. The data is not sensitive and does not require encryption during transfer. Which AWS service should the company use to meet these requirements?
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 Edge
AWS Snowball Edge is the correct choice because it is a physical data transport solution designed for large-scale data transfers over slow or unreliable networks. With 50 TB of data and only 10 Mbps upload speed, transferring over the internet would take approximately 50 TB * 8 bits/byte / (10 Mbps) ≈ 11,574 hours (482 days), far exceeding the 2-week window. Snowball Edge allows the company to physically ship the data to AWS, bypassing network constraints 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 Edge
Why this is correct
Correct. AWS Snowball Edge is a physical device that can be ordered, loaded with data on-premises, and shipped to AWS for ingestion into S3. This bypasses network limitations and meets the 2-week timeline.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS DataSync
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. AWS DataSync is a network-based transfer service. At 10 Mbps upload speed, transferring 50 TB would take over a year, far exceeding the 2-week requirement.
When this WOULD be correct
A company needs to transfer 10 TB of data from an on-premises NAS to Amazon S3 over a 1 Gbps dedicated network connection, and the transfer must complete within 24 hours with incremental sync capabilities.
- ✗
AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway)
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. File Gateway provides low-latency access to S3 over the network, but it still requires data to traverse the internet. The limited bandwidth makes it unsuitable for a one-time bulk transfer within 2 weeks.
When this WOULD be correct
A company needs to provide on-premises applications with low-latency access to S3 data while maintaining a local cache for frequently accessed files, and the data transfer can occur gradually over time without strict deadlines.
- ✗
AWS Direct Connect
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. AWS Direct Connect establishes a dedicated network connection between on-premises and AWS. However, provisioning a new Direct Connect connection typically takes weeks to months, and it is designed for ongoing workloads, not a single large data transfer.
When this WOULD be correct
A company needs a consistent, low-latency connection to AWS for ongoing data transfer or real-time workloads, and the data transfer volume is moderate (e.g., <1 TB per day) with a requirement for private, reliable connectivity.
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 Snowball EdgeCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Correct. AWS Snowball Edge is a physical device that can be ordered, loaded with data on-premises, and shipped to AWS for ingestion into S3. This bypasses network limitations and meets the 2-week timeline.
✗AWS DataSyncWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
AWS DataSync is designed for online data transfer over the network, but with only 10 Mbps upload speed, transferring 50 TB would take approximately 463 days, far exceeding the 2-week requirement.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company needs to transfer 10 TB of data from an on-premises NAS to Amazon S3 over a 1 Gbps dedicated network connection, and the transfer must complete within 24 hours with incremental sync capabilities.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may assume DataSync is the default choice for NAS-to-S3 transfers without considering bandwidth limitations, or they may overlook the time constraint and focus only on the data source type.
✗AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway)Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
AWS Storage Gateway (File Gateway) provides low-latency access to S3 from on-premises but does not perform bulk data migration; it caches frequently accessed data locally and asynchronously uploads to S3, which would not transfer 50 TB within 2 weeks over a 10 Mbps connection.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company needs to provide on-premises applications with low-latency access to S3 data while maintaining a local cache for frequently accessed files, and the data transfer can occur gradually over time without strict deadlines.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse Storage Gateway's ability to connect on-premises storage to S3 as a migration tool, overlooking that it is designed for ongoing hybrid access rather than one-time bulk transfers.
✗AWS Direct ConnectWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
AWS Direct Connect provides a dedicated network connection but does not address the bandwidth limitation of 10 Mbps; even with Direct Connect, transferring 50 TB would take far longer than 2 weeks unless a much higher bandwidth circuit is provisioned, which is not implied.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company needs a consistent, low-latency connection to AWS for ongoing data transfer or real-time workloads, and the data transfer volume is moderate (e.g., <1 TB per day) with a requirement for private, reliable connectivity.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think Direct Connect offers faster transfer speeds than the internet, but they overlook that the question's bottleneck is the 10 Mbps upload speed, which Direct Connect does not automatically increase unless a higher bandwidth circuit is ordered.
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?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose AWS DataSync or Storage Gateway because they are familiar with online transfer tools, but they fail to calculate the actual transfer time given the bandwidth constraint, overlooking that physical shipping is the only viable option for such large data volumes over slow links.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Snowball Edge uses a ruggedized, tamper-resistant device with built-in storage (up to 80 TB usable per device) and edge computing capabilities. The transfer process involves copying data to the device via NFS or SMB, then shipping it to AWS where it is ingested into S3; the entire cycle typically takes 5–10 days including shipping, well within the 2-week requirement. For non-sensitive data, encryption is optional but Snowball Edge supports automatic encryption at rest using AES-256 if needed.
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.
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 |
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 Edge — AWS Snowball Edge is the correct choice because it is a physical data transport solution designed for large-scale data transfers over slow or unreliable networks. With 50 TB of data and only 10 Mbps upload speed, transferring over the internet would take approximately 50 TB * 8 bits/byte / (10 Mbps) ≈ 11,574 hours (482 days), far exceeding the 2-week window. Snowball Edge allows the company to physically ship the data to AWS, bypassing network constraints 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.
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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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