DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
A company uses AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to continuously replicate data from an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon S3. The data is stored as CSV files. The downstream team requires the data to be in Apache Parquet format. Which change should the data engineer make to the DMS task?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates assume DMS only supports CSV for S3 targets, overlooking the built-in Parquet option, and instead choose a complex workaround like Lambda or lifecycle rules.
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
✓
Modify the DMS task to use Apache Parquet as the target table preparation mode.
AWS DMS supports specifying Apache Parquet as the target data format for Amazon S3 targets directly within the task configuration. By setting the 'Data format' to 'Parquet' in the S3 target endpoint or task settings, DMS automatically converts the replicated data into Parquet files, eliminating the need for post-processing. This is the most efficient and native approach to meet the downstream team's requirement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Modify the DMS task to use Apache Parquet as the target table preparation mode.
Why this is correct
DMS can write directly in Parquet format.
- ✗
Add an S3 lifecycle rule to convert CSV to Parquet.
Why it's wrong here
Lifecycle rules cannot change data format.
- ✗
Change the DMS task to use full load instead of continuous replication.
Why it's wrong here
Full load stops ongoing replication.
- ✗
Configure a Lambda function to transform data after DMS writes to S3.
Why it's wrong here
This adds complexity and latency; DMS can do it directly.
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.