Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication, as it is the only AWS service designed to capture change data from RDS PostgreSQL and stream it directly to Amazon Kinesis Data Streams. DMS achieves this by reading the database’s write-ahead logs (WAL) to continuously capture inserts, updates, and deletes in near real-time, then forwarding those changes to a Kinesis endpoint without requiring application-level triggers or modifications to the source database. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of DMS’s change data capture (CDC) capability as a fully managed, low-latency pipeline for streaming database changes. A common trap is confusing DMS with AWS Glue or Lambda, but remember: DMS is purpose-built for ongoing replication from transactional databases, while Glue is for batch ETL and Lambda requires custom polling. Memory tip: “DMS streams the WAL to Kinesis—no triggers, no fuss.”
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data operations and support. 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 company runs an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL database and wants to capture change data (inserts, updates, deletes) to stream into Amazon Kinesis Data Streams for real-time processing. Which AWS service should be used to capture the changes directly from the database?
Amazon RDS automated snapshots
Why wrong: Snapshots are point-in-time backups, not change streams.
AWS Glue ETL job scheduled to run every minute
Why wrong: Glue is batch-oriented, not real-time CDC.
Amazon Kinesis Agent
Why wrong: Kinesis Agent is for log files, not database CDC.
AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication
DMS supports CDC and can stream changes to Kinesis.
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 Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication
AWS DMS with ongoing replication (change data capture) is the correct service because it can continuously capture insert, update, and delete operations from the PostgreSQL transaction logs (WAL) and stream them to a Kinesis Data Streams endpoint. This allows real-time processing without modifying the source database or requiring application-level triggers.
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.
Amazon RDS automated snapshots
Why it's wrong here
Snapshots are point-in-time backups, not change streams.
AWS Glue ETL job scheduled to run every minute
Why it's wrong here
Glue is batch-oriented, not real-time CDC.
Amazon Kinesis Agent
Why it's wrong here
Kinesis Agent is for log files, not database CDC.
AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication
Why this is correct
DMS supports CDC and can stream changes to Kinesis.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse scheduled polling (Glue) or file-based agents (Kinesis Agent) with true CDC, failing to recognize that only DMS ongoing replication can stream row-level changes directly from the database transaction log in real time.
Detailed technical explanation
DMS CDC works by connecting to the source PostgreSQL database as a replication slave, reading the Write-Ahead Log (WAL) using logical replication slots (e.g., pgoutput plugin). It then transforms each log entry into a change record (with before/after images) and publishes it to a Kinesis stream as a JSON or Avro message. A subtle behavior is that DMS requires the source database to have `rds.logical_replication` set to 1 and sufficient WAL retention to avoid data loss during network interruptions.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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Data Operations and Support — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Data Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication — AWS DMS with ongoing replication (change data capture) is the correct service because it can continuously capture insert, update, and delete operations from the PostgreSQL transaction logs (WAL) and stream them to a Kinesis Data Streams endpoint. This allows real-time processing without modifying the source database or requiring application-level triggers.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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