DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
A data engineer needs to ingest data from an external partner's FTP server to Amazon S3. The data arrives once daily as a CSV file. Which AWS service should be used for this ingestion?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse AWS DataSync (which is for NFS/SMB, not FTP) with a general-purpose file transfer service, or they incorrectly assume Kinesis Data Firehose can handle batch file ingestion from external sources.
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
✓
AWS Transfer Family
AWS Transfer Family provides fully managed support for file transfers over SFTP, FTPS, and FTP protocols, making it the correct choice for ingesting CSV files from an external partner's FTP server. It integrates directly with Amazon S3 as a destination, enabling automated, secure, and scheduled transfers without custom infrastructure.
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 DataSync
Why it's wrong here
DataSync requires an agent and is typically used for network file systems.
- ✗
Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose
Why it's wrong here
Firehose is for streaming data, not batch FTP transfers.
- ✗
Amazon AppFlow
Why it's wrong here
AppFlow is for SaaS applications like Salesforce, not FTP.
- ✓
AWS Transfer Family
Why this is correct
AWS Transfer Family provides managed FTP and SFTP support for S3.
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
Related to this question
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on DEA-C01
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Variation 1. A data engineer needs to ingest data from an external FTP server into S3 on a schedule. The FTP server is only accessible via VPN. Which AWS service is best suited for this task?
easy- ✓ A.AWS Transfer Family
- B.AWS Snowcone
- C.AWS Glue with a Python shell
- D.AWS DataSync
Why A: AWS Transfer Family supports FTP, FTPS, and SFTP protocols and can be integrated with a VPC using Elastic IPs or a VPC endpoint, enabling secure access to an FTP server reachable only via VPN. It automates the transfer of files from the external FTP server to Amazon S3 on a schedule without requiring custom code or infrastructure management.
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.