The answer is AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose to Amazon S3. This combination is correct because DMS supports ongoing replication from on-premises SQL Server, capturing CDC events as they occur, and can stream those changes directly into Kinesis Data Firehose, which buffers and delivers the data to S3 with low latency. For exactly-once delivery, Firehose’s built-in retry logic and idempotent S3 writes ensure no duplicates, while custom S3 prefixes with partition keys (e.g., `year=!{timestamp:yyyy}/month=!{timestamp:MM}/`) allow the pipeline to handle schema changes dynamically by writing new columns into new partitions. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of DMS’s CDC capabilities versus other services: Kinesis Data Streams cannot natively ingest SQL Server CDC, AppFlow is limited to SaaS sources, and Lambda would require you to build a custom CDC layer. A quick memory tip: think “DMS streams to Firehose for fire-and-forget CDC to S3”—the buffering in Firehose is the key to low latency and exactly-once semantics.
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 data engineer needs to design a data ingestion pipeline that captures change data capture (CDC) events from an on-premises SQL Server database to Amazon S3 with low latency. The pipeline must handle schema changes and ensure exactly-once delivery semantics. Which combination of AWS services should the engineer use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose to Amazon S3
Option C is correct because AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication captures CDC events from on-premises SQL Server and can write to S3. Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose then delivers the data to S3 with buffering, and using a custom prefix with partition keys can help handle schema changes. Option A (Kinesis Data Streams) is not directly compatible with SQL Server CDC. Option B (AppFlow) is for SaaS applications, not on-premises databases. Option D (Lambda direct to S3) would require custom CDC implementation.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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 Database Migration Service (DMS) with Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose to Amazon S3
Why this is correct
DMS captures CDC, Firehose delivers to S3 with low latency and supports partitioning.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
AWS AppFlow with SQL Server connector to Amazon S3
Why it's wrong here
AppFlow is for SaaS apps, not on-premises databases.
✗
AWS Glue ETL job with JDBC connection to SQL Server and writing to Amazon S3
Why it's wrong here
Glue is batch-oriented, not suitable for low-latency CDC.
✗
Amazon Kinesis Data Streams with AWS Lambda consumer writing to Amazon S3
Why it's wrong here
Requires custom CDC connector; not natively supported for SQL Server.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DEA-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Data Ingestion and Transformation — This question tests Data Ingestion and Transformation — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose to Amazon S3 — Option C is correct because AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication captures CDC events from on-premises SQL Server and can write to S3. Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose then delivers the data to S3 with buffering, and using a custom prefix with partition keys can help handle schema changes. Option A (Kinesis Data Streams) is not directly compatible with SQL Server CDC. Option B (AppFlow) is for SaaS applications, not on-premises databases. Option D (Lambda direct to S3) would require custom CDC implementation.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DEA-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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