Question 1,208 of 1,711
Large-Scale Data Transfer to S3 Using AWS Snowball Edge
A company needs to transfer 50 TB of historical data from an on-premises HDFS cluster to Amazon S3. The network bandwidth is limited to 1 Gbps, and the transfer must complete within 10 days. The data is compressible. Which solution is MOST appropriate?
Quick Answer
The correct choice is AWS Snowball Edge, as it is purpose-built for large-scale offline data transfer to S3 when network bandwidth is insufficient. With only 1 Gbps available, transferring 50 TB over the wire would take roughly 111 hours under ideal conditions, but real-world overhead, retransmissions, and competing traffic easily push that beyond the 10-day deadline—making a physical appliance the only viable option. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between network-dependent solutions (DataSync, Transfer Acceleration) and offline bulk transfer services; a common trap is assuming DataSync can handle massive datasets quickly, but it still relies on the same constrained pipe. Remember the memory tip: “When the pipe is too small, ship it all”—Snowball Edge bypasses bandwidth entirely by physically moving the data, making it the fastest path for compressible, historical bulk loads.
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
✓
Use AWS DataSync over a Direct Connect connection.
With a 1 Gbps link, transferring 50 TB would take approximately 111 hours (about 4.6 days) theoretically, well within the 10-day window. AWS DataSync over a Direct Connect connection provides a high-speed, secure, and reliable method to transfer large datasets online. DataSync automates the HDFS-to-S3 transfer, handles compression, and can saturate the 1 Gbps link, making it the most appropriate solution. Snowball Edge involves physical shipment and logistics, which would likely exceed the 10-day deadline. Options B and C also rely on internet bandwidth and are less efficient than DataSync.
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 DataSync over a Direct Connect connection.
Why this is correct
DataSync can saturate 1 Gbps, but 50 TB at 1 Gbps takes ~111 hours, plus overhead may exceed 10 days.
- ✗
Use Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration with multipart uploads.
Why it's wrong here
Transfer Acceleration relies on internet; still limited by 1 Gbps.
- ✗
Use multiple parallel AWS CLI sync commands over the internet.
Why it's wrong here
Internet bandwidth is even more limited and unreliable.
- ✗
Use AWS Snowball Edge to physically ship the data.
Why it's wrong here
Snowball Edge can transfer 50 TB in a few days, independent of network.
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 |
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Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on DEA-C01
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 needs to transfer 20 TB of historical data from an on-premises Hadoop cluster to Amazon S3. The network bandwidth is limited and the transfer must complete within one week. Which service should the company use?
easy- A.Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration
- ✓ B.AWS Snowball Edge
- C.AWS Direct Connect with DataSync
- D.AWS DataSync over a VPN connection
Why B: AWS Snowball Edge is designed for large-scale data transfers (up to 80 TB per device) over limited bandwidth. It physically ships the data, bypassing network constraints entirely. The requirement of 20 TB within one week with limited bandwidth makes Snowball the ideal choice. Option A is wrong because S3 Transfer Acceleration still uses the internet and cannot guarantee completion within a week with limited bandwidth. Option C is wrong because Direct Connect provides a dedicated network connection but requires sufficient bandwidth; if bandwidth is limited, it cannot complete the transfer in time. Option D is wrong because DataSync over VPN still relies on the internet bandwidth and would not meet the deadline.
Variation 2. A company needs to transfer 10 TB of historical data from an on-premises HDFS cluster to Amazon S3. The data is stored on a single 20 TB disk. The network link to AWS has a bandwidth of 1 Gbps. The transfer must be completed within 2 days. Which solution meets these requirements?
easy- ✓ A.Use AWS Snowball Edge to transfer the data physically.
- B.Use Amazon Kinesis Data Streams to stream data to S3.
- C.Use AWS DMS to migrate data from HDFS to S3.
- D.Use AWS CLI to copy data directly to S3 over the network.
Why A: AWS Snowball Edge is the correct solution because it can physically transfer 10 TB of data from a single 20 TB disk within the 2-day window, bypassing the network bandwidth limitation. With a 1 Gbps link, the theoretical maximum transfer of 10 TB would take approximately 22.2 hours under ideal conditions, but real-world overhead, latency, and potential congestion make it unreliable to complete within 2 days. Snowball Edge provides a petabyte-scale physical transport solution that avoids network constraints entirely.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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