The answer is AWS Snowball Edge, the most cost-effective solution for transferring 10 TB of data to S3 when bandwidth is limited to 100 Mbps and the deadline is five days. This is correct because the theoretical transfer time over the internet would exceed nine days—calculated as 10 TB multiplied by 8 to convert to gigabits, divided by 100 Mbps, yielding roughly 800,000 seconds or about 9.26 days—which clearly violates the five-day requirement. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of when to bypass network constraints using physical migration services, a common trap being the temptation to choose AWS Direct Connect or multipart upload, which still depend on the same bottleneck. The key insight is that for cost-effective large data transfer to S3 with limited bandwidth, Snowball Edge eliminates the network entirely by shipping the data physically. Memory tip: think “Snowball beats the bandwidth wall” to recall that physical shipping wins when time and pipe size clash.
DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
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 data engineer needs to transfer 10 TB of data from an on-premises data center to Amazon S3. The network bandwidth is limited to 100 Mbps, and the data transfer must be completed within 5 days. What is the most cost-effective 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 Snowball Edge to physically ship the data.
With 10 TB of data and a 100 Mbps link, the theoretical transfer time over the internet is approximately 10 days (10 TB * 8 / 100 Mbps = 800,000 seconds ≈ 9.26 days), which exceeds the 5-day requirement. AWS Snowball Edge is the most cost-effective solution because it bypasses the network bottleneck entirely by physically shipping the data, and it is designed for large-scale data transfers where network constraints make online transfer impractical.
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 Snowball Edge to physically ship the data.
Why this is correct
Snowball bypasses network limitations and is cost-effective for large data volumes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use S3 Transfer Acceleration to speed up the transfer over the internet.
Why it's wrong here
Transfer Acceleration improves speed but still limited by 100 Mbps.
✗
Use AWS DataSync over the internet to transfer the data.
Why it's wrong here
DataSync still uses network and would be too slow.
✗
Set up an AWS Direct Connect connection to increase bandwidth.
Why it's wrong here
Direct Connect provides dedicated connection but bandwidth is still limited by the on-premises link unless upgraded.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume S3 Transfer Acceleration or DataSync can magically overcome bandwidth limitations, but they only optimize the path, not increase the pipe size, so the math of bandwidth vs. data volume always dictates the minimum transfer time.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Snowball Edge uses a ruggedized storage device with built-in compute capabilities, and the transfer process involves encrypting data locally with AES-256, shipping the device via a courier, and then decrypting it into S3. For a 100 Mbps link, the raw transfer time for 10 TB is about 9.26 days, but real-world factors like protocol overhead, retransmissions, and contention can push it well beyond 10 days. Snowball Edge is ideal for datasets over 10 TB or when network transfer would take more than a week, as it eliminates network dependency.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Data Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use AWS Snowball Edge to physically ship the data. — With 10 TB of data and a 100 Mbps link, the theoretical transfer time over the internet is approximately 10 days (10 TB * 8 / 100 Mbps = 800,000 seconds ≈ 9.26 days), which exceeds the 5-day requirement. AWS Snowball Edge is the most cost-effective solution because it bypasses the network bottleneck entirely by physically shipping the data, and it is designed for large-scale data transfers where network constraints make online transfer impractical.
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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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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