DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
A company is building a data lake on Amazon S3 and needs to ingest data from various on-premises sources. Which TWO AWS services can be used to transfer data securely over the internet?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse AWS DataSync with AWS Direct Connect, thinking both are required for secure transfers, but Direct Connect is a network service that bypasses the internet entirely, while DataSync is a data transfer service that works over the internet or Direct Connect.
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 DataSync
AWS DataSync (B) is correct because it is a purpose-built data transfer service that moves data between on-premises storage and Amazon S3 over the internet using TLS encryption, and it supports scheduled, incremental, and bandwidth-limited transfers. AWS CLI (E) is correct because commands such as aws s3 cp or aws s3 sync transfer data from on-premises systems to S3 over the public internet using HTTPS, making it a valid secure internet-based ingestion method. AWS Snowcone (A) is not correct here because it is an edge computing and offline/physical data transfer device, not an internet-based transfer service. Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose (C) is not correct because it delivers streaming data to destinations like S3 but is not designed to pull files from on-premises sources over the internet. AWS Direct Connect (D) is not correct because it uses a dedicated private network connection rather than the public internet.
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 Snowcone
Why it's wrong here
AWS Snowcone is a physical edge device shipped to your site for offline data transfer; it never traverses the internet. It is tempting because it is secure and handles large volumes, but it is the right choice for remote or bandwidth-constrained locations, not for online ingestion from on-premises sources.
- ✓
AWS DataSync
Why this is correct
AWS DataSync transfers files over the internet using TLS encryption, satisfying the secure on-premises ingestion requirement. It supports NFS, SMB, and object storage sources, with bandwidth throttling and integrity verification. Agents deploy on-premises, replicating data directly to Amazon S3 without VPN or AWS Direct Connect, which the stem does not mandate.
- ✗
Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose
Why it's wrong here
Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose delivers streaming data into destinations such as S3, but it consumes streams from producers rather than pulling files from on-premises systems over the internet. It is tempting because it lands data in S3, yet it suits real-time streaming pipelines, not batch transfer from on-premises sources.
- ✗
AWS Direct Connect
Why it's wrong here
AWS Direct Connect provisions a dedicated private network circuit from on-premises to AWS, not a transfer over the public internet. It is tempting because it is secure and fast, but it is the correct choice when consistent bandwidth and reduced egress costs matter, not for internet-based ingestion.
- ✓
AWS CLI
Why this is correct
The AWS CLI transfers data to Amazon S3 over the internet using HTTPS, with credentials and IAM policies enforcing secure access from on-premises hosts. It satisfies the secure internet transfer requirement without dedicated network links, unlike offline or private-connectivity 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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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DEA-C01 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 DEA-C01 exam.