The answer is AWS DMS with a replication task in CDC mode, writing to S3 in Parquet format. This combination meets the requirement for near real-time CDC from Oracle to S3 because AWS DMS’s change data capture mode continuously reads the Oracle redo logs to detect inserts, updates, and deletes within minutes, while writing directly to S3 in columnar Parquet format optimizes storage and query performance. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that DMS is the only AWS service purpose-built for database-to-database or database-to-object-store CDC with minimal source impact—Glue lacks native CDC, Data Pipeline is batch-only, and Firehose cannot connect to databases directly. A common trap is assuming Glue can handle CDC via its streaming jobs, but Glue requires a pre-staged CDC stream from Kinesis or Kafka, not direct database change capture. Memory tip: think “DMS for DB changes, S3 for Parquet storage”—if the source has a timestamp column, DMS CDC still uses redo logs, not the timestamp, to avoid impacting the source.
DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data ingestion and transformation. 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 data engineer is designing a data ingestion pipeline to load data from an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon S3. The pipeline should capture changes in near real-time (within minutes) and minimize impact on the source database. The source table has a 'last_modified' timestamp column. Which service combination would meet these requirements?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
AWS DMS with a replication task in CDC mode, writing to S3 in Parquet format.
AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with change data capture (CDC) can capture changes from Oracle in near real-time and write to S3. Option A is wrong because Glue does not support CDC. Option B is wrong because Data Pipeline is batch-oriented. Option D is wrong because Firehose does not connect to databases directly.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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 DMS with a replication task in CDC mode, writing to S3 in Parquet format.
Why this is correct
DMS CDC captures minimal changes and writes to S3 with low latency.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose with a Lambda function that queries Oracle.
Why it's wrong here
Firehose cannot directly connect to Oracle; requires custom solution.
✗
AWS Data Pipeline with a periodic SQL query activity to copy full table snapshots.
Why it's wrong here
Full snapshots are not near real-time and impact source.
✗
AWS Glue with a JDBC connection to Oracle, running a crawler every 5 minutes.
Why it's wrong here
Glue crawlers are for schema discovery, not CDC. A Glue ETL job would be batch and may impact source.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DEA-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Data Ingestion and Transformation — This question tests Data Ingestion and Transformation — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS DMS with a replication task in CDC mode, writing to S3 in Parquet format. — AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with change data capture (CDC) can capture changes from Oracle in near real-time and write to S3. Option A is wrong because Glue does not support CDC. Option B is wrong because Data Pipeline is batch-oriented. Option D is wrong because Firehose does not connect to databases directly.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DEA-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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