Quick Answer
The answer is to increase the DMS replication instance size. This directly resolves the DMS replication instance memory error by provisioning more RAM and CPU, which is critical when handling continuous Change Data Capture (CDC) from a 2 TB Oracle database and the additional overhead of converting data to Parquet format. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that memory errors during large-scale replication are typically a resource sizing issue, not a configuration or network problem—a common trap is to overcomplicate the fix by adjusting task settings or splitting the database. Remember the memory tip: when Parquet conversion and CDC overwhelm the instance, “size up, not split up.”
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data ingestion and transformation. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 uses AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to continuously replicate data from an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon S3 in Parquet format. The replication is used for near-real-time analytics. Recently, the DMS task started failing with an error indicating insufficient memory. The source database is large (2 TB). What should a data engineer do to resolve this issue while minimizing changes to the existing architecture?
Change the target format to JSON to reduce memory usage.
Why wrong: JSON is larger, not smaller.
Split the DMS task into multiple smaller tasks.
Why wrong: Requires major architecture changes.
Use Change Data Capture (CDC) only, without full load.
Why wrong: Does not address memory issue.
Increase the DMS replication instance size.
Provides more memory.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Increase the DMS replication instance size.
The error indicates the DMS replication instance is running out of memory during continuous replication of a 2 TB Oracle database to S3 in Parquet format. Increasing the replication instance size (Option D) directly addresses the memory constraint by providing more RAM and processing capacity, which is necessary for handling large volumes of Change Data Capture (CDC) data and Parquet conversion overhead. This solution requires minimal architectural changes, as it only involves modifying the instance class in the DMS task settings.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Change the target format to JSON to reduce memory usage.
Why it's wrong here
JSON is larger, not smaller.
Split the DMS task into multiple smaller tasks.
Why it's wrong here
Requires major architecture changes.
Use Change Data Capture (CDC) only, without full load.
Why it's wrong here
Does not address memory issue.
Increase the DMS replication instance size.
Why this is correct
Provides more memory.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may think splitting tasks or changing formats reduces memory usage, but the root cause is insufficient instance resources, and AWS DMS tasks require adequate instance sizing for large-scale CDC workloads.
Detailed technical explanation
AWS DMS replication instances have fixed memory allocations based on instance class (e.g., dms.c5.large has 4 GB RAM, dms.c5.xlarge has 8 GB). When replicating to Parquet, DMS must buffer and transform data in memory, and CDC tasks for large databases (2 TB) can generate high transaction volumes that exceed available memory. Increasing the instance size provides more memory for the task's internal cache and transaction logs, reducing swap usage and preventing out-of-memory errors.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Data Ingestion and Transformation — This question tests Data Ingestion and Transformation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Increase the DMS replication instance size. — The error indicates the DMS replication instance is running out of memory during continuous replication of a 2 TB Oracle database to S3 in Parquet format. Increasing the replication instance size (Option D) directly addresses the memory constraint by providing more RAM and processing capacity, which is necessary for handling large volumes of Change Data Capture (CDC) data and Parquet conversion overhead. This solution requires minimal architectural changes, as it only involves modifying the instance class in the DMS task settings.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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