Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Transfer Family, which is the correct choice for ingesting FTP data to S3 because it natively supports FTP, FTPS, and SFTP protocols, enabling direct, managed file transfers into Amazon S3 without needing any gateway or agent. This service acts as a fully managed file transfer gateway, handling the authentication and protocol translation so that external partners can push CSV files directly into your S3 bucket. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between ingestion services: the key trap is confusing AWS Transfer Family with AWS DataSync, which requires an agent and is designed for server-to-server replication, not for receiving inbound FTP connections from external partners. Another common distractor is Amazon AppFlow, which only supports SaaS applications like Salesforce, not FTP servers. Remember the memory tip: “FTP to S3? Transfer Family sets you free.”
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 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?
AWS DataSync
Why wrong: DataSync requires an agent and is typically used for network file systems.
Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose
Why wrong: Firehose is for streaming data, not batch FTP transfers.
Amazon AppFlow
Why wrong: AppFlow is for SaaS applications like Salesforce, not FTP.
AWS Transfer Family
AWS Transfer Family provides managed FTP and SFTP support for S3.
Answer choices
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
Option A is correct because AWS Transfer Family supports SFTP and FTP-based transfers into S3. Option B is wrong because AWS DataSync is for transfers between storage systems, but it requires agent installation. Option C is wrong because Amazon AppFlow is for SaaS applications, not FTP. Option D is wrong because Amazon Kinesis Firehose is for streaming data.
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.
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
AWS Transfer Family
Why this is correct
AWS Transfer Family provides managed FTP and SFTP support for S3.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Data Ingestion and Transformation — study guide chapter
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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: AWS Transfer Family — Option A is correct because AWS Transfer Family supports SFTP and FTP-based transfers into S3. Option B is wrong because AWS DataSync is for transfers between storage systems, but it requires agent installation. Option C is wrong because Amazon AppFlow is for SaaS applications, not FTP. Option D is wrong because Amazon Kinesis Firehose is for streaming data.
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
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?
easyWhy A: Option D is correct because AWS Transfer Family supports FTP over VPN. Option A is wrong because DataSync requires network connectivity but not FTP protocol. Option B is wrong because Glue can read from FTP but requires custom connectors. Option C is wrong because Snowcone is for offline data transfer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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