DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
A data engineer is using AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to replicate ongoing changes from an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL database to an Amazon S3 bucket. The source table has a primary key and the engineer needs near-real-time change data capture (CDC) with minimal impact on the source. Which DMS task setting should the engineer configure to meet these requirements?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse full load only with CDC or assuming that any logging feature (such as MySQL binary logging) applies to PostgreSQL; the correct CDC mechanism for PostgreSQL in DMS is logical replication from the WAL.
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
✓
Set the migration type to full load plus CDC and enable logical replication on the source
AWS DMS uses PostgreSQL logical replication to read changes from the write-ahead log for CDC. Configuring the task as full load plus CDC performs the initial copy and then continuously applies changes, giving near-real-time replication with minimal source impact because changes are read from the log rather than by polling tables. Enabling logical replication on the source is a prerequisite for this mode.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Set the migration type to full load plus CDC and enable logical replication on the source
Why this is correct
Full load plus CDC performs an initial load and then continuously reads changes from the PostgreSQL write-ahead log using logical replication. This provides near-real-time replication of inserts, updates, and deletes while reading from the log rather than querying tables, which minimizes impact on the source database. It is the correct DMS configuration for ongoing CDC.
- ✗
Set the migration type to full load only and schedule hourly re-runs
Why it's wrong here
Full load only does not capture ongoing changes; it copies existing rows each run. Hourly re-runs would repeatedly scan the entire table, causing significant load on the source database and failing to provide near-real-time CDC. This approach also cannot capture deletes or updates that occur between runs, so it does not meet the CDC requirement.
- ✗
Set the migration type to CDC only and configure a change table on the source
Why it's wrong here
CDC only assumes the target already contains the initial data. If the S3 bucket is empty, the target will be missing all pre-existing rows. Also, PostgreSQL CDC in DMS uses logical replication slots rather than change tables, so configuring a change table is not the correct mechanism and would not produce the required near-real-time stream.
- ✗
Set the migration type to full load only and enable binary logging on the source
Why it's wrong here
Binary logging is a MySQL concept, not PostgreSQL, so enabling it on RDS for PostgreSQL is not applicable. Even if change logs were available, a full load only migration does not consume them, so no ongoing changes would be replicated. This option neither provides CDC nor uses the correct PostgreSQL mechanism.
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 |
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Amazon Web Services exam blueprint
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.