DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
A company wants to migrate on-premises data to Amazon S3 using AWS DataSync. The data is stored on an NFS file server and the total volume is 50 TB. The network bandwidth between the on-premises data center and AWS is 1 Gbps (gigabit per second). What is the primary factor that will determine the total time required for the initial data transfer?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates may focus on the NFS server's IOPS or file size, assuming storage performance is the bottleneck, but the question explicitly provides a 1 Gbps bandwidth figure, signaling that network throughput is the key limiting factor for the initial transfer.
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
✓
The available network bandwidth between on-premises and AWS
AWS DataSync transfers data over the network, so the primary constraint is the available bandwidth between the on-premises NFS server and AWS. With 50 TB of data and a 1 Gbps link, the theoretical minimum transfer time is approximately 50 TB * 8 / 1 Gbps = 400,000 seconds (~111 hours), but real-world throughput is lower due to protocol overhead, latency, and competing traffic. The network bandwidth directly dictates the maximum data transfer rate, making it the dominant factor for the initial transfer duration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The available network bandwidth between on-premises and AWS
Why this is correct
With 50 TB and 1 Gbps, the theoretical minimum time is ~4.7 days; network bandwidth is the key constraint.
- ✗
The number of S3 buckets used as the destination
Why it's wrong here
Number of buckets does not affect transfer speed.
- ✗
The average file size in the dataset
Why it's wrong here
While very small files can impact performance due to overhead, the primary bottleneck is bandwidth.
- ✗
The IOPS (I/O operations per second) of the on-premises NFS server
Why it's wrong here
NFS servers can usually saturate a 1 Gbps link; IOPS is not the limiting factor.
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.