Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Transfer Family with an SFTP endpoint in a VPC. This service is correct because it allows you to create a managed SFTP endpoint inside your Virtual Private Cloud, enabling secure FTP to S3 data transfer even when the external FTP server is not accessible from the internet—the VPC endpoint bridges the private network directly to Amazon S3 without exposing data to the public internet. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of hybrid storage connectivity and the distinction between online transfer services and offline or streaming alternatives. A common trap is choosing AWS DataSync, which requires direct network access to the source, or Snowball Edge for offline bulk loads, neither of which fits a recurring private FTP ingestion pattern. Remember the key memory tip: if the source is a private FTP server, think “VPC endpoint + SFTP” to keep the data path secure and internal.
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 company needs to ingest data from an external FTP server into AWS S3. The FTP server is not accessible from the internet. Which AWS service should be used to securely transfer the data?
Kinesis Data Firehose
Why wrong: Firehose is for streaming data, not FTP transfers.
AWS Transfer Family with SFTP endpoint in a VPC
Transfer Family supports SFTP and can be deployed in a VPC to access private FTP servers.
AWS DataSync
Why wrong: DataSync requires network connectivity to the FTP server.
AWS Snowball Edge
Why wrong: Snowball Edge is for offline data transfer, not regular FTP ingestion.
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 with SFTP endpoint in a VPC
Option B is correct because AWS Transfer Family supports SFTP and can be used with a VPC endpoint to transfer data from an FTP server in a private network to S3. Option A is wrong because Snowball Edge is for large offline data transfers, not regular FTP transfers. Option C is wrong because DataSync is for moving data between on-premises storage and AWS, but it requires network access. Option D is wrong because Kinesis Data Firehose is for streaming data, not FTP transfers.
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.
Kinesis Data Firehose
Why it's wrong here
Firehose is for streaming data, not FTP transfers.
AWS Transfer Family with SFTP endpoint in a VPC
Why this is correct
Transfer Family supports SFTP and can be deployed in a VPC to access private FTP servers.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS DataSync
Why it's wrong here
DataSync requires network connectivity to the FTP server.
AWS Snowball Edge
Why it's wrong here
Snowball Edge is for offline data transfer, not regular FTP ingestion.
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 with SFTP endpoint in a VPC — Option B is correct because AWS Transfer Family supports SFTP and can be used with a VPC endpoint to transfer data from an FTP server in a private network to S3. Option A is wrong because Snowball Edge is for large offline data transfers, not regular FTP transfers. Option C is wrong because DataSync is for moving data between on-premises storage and AWS, but it requires network access. Option D is wrong because Kinesis Data Firehose is for streaming data, not FTP transfers.
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
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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 company wants to import data from an external FTP server into Amazon S3 on a daily basis. The data volumes are moderate. Which AWS service is MOST suitable for this task?
easyWhy B: Option D is correct because AWS Transfer Family provides fully managed support for SFTP, FTPS, and FTP, enabling direct transfer to S3. Option A is wrong because Glue cannot connect to FTP directly without a custom connector. Option B is wrong because DataSync is for moving data between on-premises and AWS, but it does not support FTP servers. Option C is wrong because S3 Transfer Acceleration is for speeding up uploads to S3 from clients, not for fetching from FTP.
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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