Large-Scale Data Transfer to S3 Using AWS Snowball Edge
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?
⚠ Common exam trap
DEA-C01 often tests the threshold where network transfer becomes impractical, so candidates may overlook Snowball for 20 TB and incorrectly choose online transfer methods like DataSync or Transfer Acceleration.
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 Snowball Edge
AWS Snowball Edge is a petabyte-scale data transport solution that uses physical devices to transfer large amounts of data into and out of AWS, bypassing network bandwidth limitations. For 20 TB over a limited network within one week, Snowball Edge is the most practical and cost-effective choice. It supports up to 80 TB usable capacity per device and provides encryption and tamper-resistant security.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration
Why it's wrong here
Transfer Acceleration speeds uploads to S3 by routing through edge locations, but the data still crosses the same constrained origin network, so 20 TB will not complete in a week. It is tempting because it targets S3 upload performance, and it would be correct for accelerating internet uploads from distributed clients over sufficient bandwidth.
- ✓
AWS Snowball Edge
Why this is correct
AWS Snowball Edge ships a physical appliance to the on-premises site, bypassing the limited network bandwidth constraint. It transfers 20 TB within a week, whereas online transfer methods would be too slow over the constrained link.
- ✗
AWS Direct Connect with DataSync
Why it's wrong here
Provisioning Direct Connect takes weeks, so the one-week deadline cannot be met, and DataSync still moves the data over that circuit. It is tempting because dedicated bandwidth genuinely accelerates large transfers, and Direct Connect with DataSync would be correct for recurring transfers where lead time permits.
- ✗
AWS DataSync over a VPN connection
Why it's wrong here
DataSync over a VPN still traverses the limited-bandwidth internet link, so 20 TB cannot finish within a week; it suits ongoing incremental transfers between on-premises storage and AWS over adequate links. AWS Snowball Edge physically ships the data, bypassing the bandwidth constraint entirely.
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 |
Go deeper
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Amazon Web Services exam blueprint
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.