The answer is AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with continuous replication. This is the simplest solution because DMS is purpose-built for near-real-time database replication to Redshift using DMS, handling ongoing changes from a MySQL source with minimal configuration—it reads the binary logs and applies transactions to Redshift within seconds, easily meeting the five-minute latency requirement. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between continuous replication services and batch or custom-coded alternatives; a common trap is choosing AWS Glue for its ETL familiarity, but Glue is batch-oriented and introduces latency, while Lambda requires custom code for change data capture and EMR is overkill for low-volume data. Remember the memory tip: for “continuous” replication, think “DMS does the continuous work,” so when you see near-real-time and low overhead, DMS is your default.
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 small startup is building a data pipeline to ingest customer orders from a web application into Amazon Redshift for analytics. The orders are written to an Amazon RDS MySQL database. The startup wants to replicate the orders to Redshift in near-real time (within 5 minutes) with minimal operational overhead. The data volume is low, averaging 100 new orders per minute. The startup has a single data engineer who is also responsible for other tasks. What is the simplest solution?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with continuous replication
Option D is correct because AWS DMS can continuously replicate from MySQL to Redshift with minimal setup and low overhead. Option A (Lambda) requires custom code. Option B (Glue) is batch-oriented and may not meet the 5-minute latency. Option C (EMR) is overkill.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Use AWS Glue with a scheduled job every 5 minutes to copy data from MySQL to Redshift
Why it's wrong here
Glue jobs have startup overhead and may not be cost-effective for low volume.
✗
Use Amazon EMR with Spark streaming to read from MySQL and write to Redshift
Why it's wrong here
Overly complex and expensive for the volume.
✗
Use an AWS Lambda function to query MySQL every minute and insert into Redshift
Why it's wrong here
Requires custom code and handling of state.
✓
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with continuous replication
Why this is correct
DMS is purpose-built for database replication and easy to set up.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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
How to think about this question
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.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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 — This question tests Data Ingestion and Transformation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with continuous replication — Option D is correct because AWS DMS can continuously replicate from MySQL to Redshift with minimal setup and low overhead. Option A (Lambda) requires custom code. Option B (Glue) is batch-oriented and may not meet the 5-minute latency. Option C (EMR) is overkill.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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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.
Question Discussion
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