- A
AWS Glue
Why wrong: Glue is for ETL, not for bulk data transfer.
- B
AWS DataSync
Designed for network-based bulk data transfer.
- C
AWS Snowball
An offline device that can transfer large amounts of data.
- D
Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration
Why wrong: May not guarantee 1 week transfer for 50 TB over 1 Gbps.
- E
AWS Direct Connect
Why wrong: It is a dedicated network connection, not a data transfer service.
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 transfer 50 TB of data from an on-premises data center to Amazon S3 over a 1 Gbps network. The transfer must be completed within one week. Which TWO AWS services can be used for this task? (Choose TWO.)
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 correct because it is designed to efficiently transfer large datasets over the network using a purpose-built agent that parallelizes data transfer and optimizes network utilization. With a 1 Gbps link, DataSync can transfer 50 TB within a week by leveraging its built-in compression, encryption, and incremental transfer capabilities, making it suitable for this time-constrained migration.
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 Glue
Why it's wrong here
Glue is for ETL, not for bulk data transfer.
- ✓
AWS DataSync
Why this is correct
Designed for network-based bulk data transfer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
AWS Snowball
Why this is correct
An offline device that can transfer large amounts of data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration
Why it's wrong here
May not guarantee 1 week transfer for 50 TB over 1 Gbps.
- ✗
AWS Direct Connect
Why it's wrong here
It is a dedicated network connection, not a data transfer service.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume S3 Transfer Acceleration can accelerate any transfer, but it only optimizes the last-mile upload to S3 and does not address the bottleneck of moving data from on-premises storage to the internet, nor does it provide a mechanism to pull data from on-premises systems.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS DataSync uses a lightweight agent deployed on-premises that reads data from NFS, SMB, or self-managed object storage and transfers it to S3 using multiple parallel streams and TCP-level optimizations. It automatically verifies data integrity with checksums and can schedule incremental transfers after the initial full sync, which is critical for large datasets. Snowball, on the other hand, is a physical appliance that bypasses network constraints entirely, making it ideal when bandwidth is insufficient; for 50 TB over 1 Gbps, the theoretical minimum transfer time is ~116 hours (4.8 days), but real-world overhead (protocol, retransmissions, contention) often pushes it beyond a week, so Snowball provides a guaranteed timeline.
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 correct because it is designed to efficiently transfer large datasets over the network using a purpose-built agent that parallelizes data transfer and optimizes network utilization. With a 1 Gbps link, DataSync can transfer 50 TB within a week by leveraging its built-in compression, encryption, and incremental transfer capabilities, making it suitable for this time-constrained migration.
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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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