- A
AWS Direct Connect
Why wrong: Direct Connect is a network connection, not a data transfer service.
- B
Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration
Why wrong: Transfer Acceleration speeds up uploads over the internet, but is not ideal for on-premises bulk transfer.
- C
AWS Snowball
Why wrong: Snowball is an offline device for very large transfers, but not for ongoing daily transfers.
- D
AWS DataSync
DataSync automates and accelerates moving data from on-premises to AWS.
Question 1,147 of 1,786
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.
An organization needs to ingest data from on-premises databases into AWS S3 for archival purposes. The data volume is several TB per day, and the network has moderate bandwidth. Which AWS service is BEST suited for this bulk data transfer?
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
AWS DataSync is the best choice because it is designed for efficiently moving large volumes of data (several TB per day) from on-premises storage to AWS, including S3. It automates and accelerates data transfer over the existing network using a purpose-built protocol and parallel multi-threading, while handling encryption, validation, and scheduling. For moderate bandwidth, DataSync optimizes throughput and can resume interrupted transfers, making it ideal for ongoing archival ingestion.
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.
- ✗
AWS Direct Connect
Why it's wrong here
Direct Connect is a network connection, not a data transfer service.
- ✗
Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration
Why it's wrong here
Transfer Acceleration speeds up uploads over the internet, but is not ideal for on-premises bulk transfer.
- ✗
AWS Snowball
Why it's wrong here
Snowball is an offline device for very large transfers, but not for ongoing daily transfers.
- ✓
AWS DataSync
Why this is correct
DataSync automates and accelerates moving data from on-premises to AWS.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS DataSync with AWS Direct Connect, thinking a dedicated network link is required for large transfers, but DataSync is optimized to work over existing internet connections with moderate bandwidth, making it the more practical and cost-effective service for this use case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS DataSync uses a custom network protocol and parallel data streams to maximize throughput over moderate bandwidth, often achieving 10x faster transfers than traditional tools like rsync or S3 CLI. It can integrate with NFS, SMB, HDFS, and self-managed object storage, and automatically verifies data integrity using checksums during transfer. In real-world scenarios, DataSync is commonly used for initial one-time migrations and ongoing replication, with the ability to schedule incremental syncs to minimize data loss windows.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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 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.
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 |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DEA-C01 question test?
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: AWS DataSync — AWS DataSync is the best choice because it is designed for efficiently moving large volumes of data (several TB per day) from on-premises storage to AWS, including S3. It automates and accelerates data transfer over the existing network using a purpose-built protocol and parallel multi-threading, while handling encryption, validation, and scheduling. For moderate bandwidth, DataSync optimizes throughput and can resume interrupted transfers, making it ideal for ongoing archival ingestion.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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