DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
A data engineer needs to ingest data from an on-premises Oracle database into Amazon S3 on a daily basis. The data volume is approximately 500 GB per day. The source database is behind a firewall that does not allow direct internet access. Which service should the engineer use to transfer the data securely?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers assume AWS DMS is the only tool for database-to-S3 transfers, overlooking that DataSync is purpose-built for scheduled, large-volume file transfers from on-premises systems behind firewalls, while DMS is optimized for ongoing replication and schema conversion, not daily bulk dumps.
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 DataSync with a network path through AWS Direct Connect or VPN.
AWS DataSync can transfer data from on-premises storage to AWS over a network path established through AWS Direct Connect or a VPN, which is necessary because the source database is behind a firewall that blocks direct internet access. DataSync automates the movement of large datasets (up to 500 GB daily) and integrates with Oracle databases via a supported agent, handling incremental transfers efficiently. This makes it the correct choice for secure, scheduled, and high-volume data ingestion into Amazon S3.
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 with a network path through AWS Direct Connect or VPN.
Why this is correct
DataSync is designed for scheduled transfers to S3.
- ✗
AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) with ongoing replication from Oracle to S3.
Why it's wrong here
DMS is for live migration, not daily batch.
- ✗
Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration with a public endpoint.
Why it's wrong here
Requires internet; not suitable for firewalled network.
- ✗
AWS Snowball Edge device for daily transfers.
Why it's wrong here
Snowball is for large, offline, one-time transfers.
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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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.