- A
AWS DataSync.
Why wrong: Designed for file data, not databases.
- B
Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration.
Why wrong: Used for faster uploads to S3, not direct migration to RDS.
- C
AWS Snowball Edge.
Why wrong: Offline transfer adds shipping time, likely exceeding 48 hours.
- D
AWS Database Migration Service (DMS).
Online migration over network, capable of migrating 5 TB within 48 hours.
Question 880 of 1,786
How to Migrate an On-Premises Database to Amazon RDS with Minimal Downtime
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. 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 is migrating an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. The database is 5 TB in size and has a 1 Gbps network connection. The migration must be completed within 48 hours. Which service should be used?
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 Database Migration Service (DMS).
AWS DMS is the correct choice because it is designed for migrating databases to AWS with minimal downtime, and it can handle a 5 TB Oracle database over a 1 Gbps network within 48 hours. DMS supports ongoing replication to keep the source and target in sync, and it can use Oracle-specific features like supplemental logging and change data capture (CDC) to reduce migration time. The 1 Gbps connection provides sufficient bandwidth to transfer 5 TB in under 12 hours at full utilization, leaving ample time for setup and validation.
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 DataSync.
Why it's wrong here
Designed for file data, not databases.
- ✗
Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration.
Why it's wrong here
Used for faster uploads to S3, not direct migration to RDS.
- ✗
AWS Snowball Edge.
Why it's wrong here
Offline transfer adds shipping time, likely exceeding 48 hours.
- ✓
AWS Database Migration Service (DMS).
Why this is correct
Online migration over network, capable of migrating 5 TB within 48 hours.
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 might choose Snowball Edge (option C) thinking 5 TB is too large for a 1 Gbps connection within 48 hours, but they overlook that the bandwidth is sufficient (5 TB at 1 Gbps takes ~11 hours), making an online migration via DMS the correct and more practical choice.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS DMS uses a replication instance that reads the source Oracle database's redo logs via LogMiner or Oracle GoldenGate (for CDC) to capture changes without locking tables, enabling near-zero downtime migrations. The 5 TB size over 1 Gbps yields a theoretical transfer time of about 11 hours (5 TB * 8 bits/byte / 1 Gbps / 3600 seconds/hour), but in practice, DMS adds overhead for schema conversion, LOB handling, and network latency, so the 48-hour window is realistic. A common real-world scenario is migrating a production Oracle database with active transactions, where DMS's continuous replication ensures data consistency without a long outage window.
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.
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 Store Management — This question tests Data Store Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS). — AWS DMS is the correct choice because it is designed for migrating databases to AWS with minimal downtime, and it can handle a 5 TB Oracle database over a 1 Gbps network within 48 hours. DMS supports ongoing replication to keep the source and target in sync, and it can use Oracle-specific features like supplemental logging and change data capture (CDC) to reduce migration time. The 1 Gbps connection provides sufficient bandwidth to transfer 5 TB in under 12 hours at full utilization, leaving ample time for setup and validation.
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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
3 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 data engineer needs to migrate an on-premises PostgreSQL database to Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL. The database is 2 TB and has a continuous stream of write operations. The migration should minimize downtime. Which AWS service should be used?
medium- A.AWS DataSync
- ✓ B.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
- C.AWS Snowball Edge
- D.AWS Glue
Why B: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) is the correct choice because it supports ongoing replication (change data capture) from an on-premises PostgreSQL source to Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL, enabling a near-zero downtime migration. DMS can handle the 2 TB dataset and continuous write stream by performing a full load followed by continuous replication of changes until the cutover. Other services lack the ability to perform live, transactional replication with minimal interruption.
Variation 2. A data engineer is migrating an on-premises PostgreSQL database to Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL. The database is 2 TB in size. The engineer needs to minimize downtime. Which AWS service should be used for the migration?
easy- A.AWS Data Pipeline
- ✓ B.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
- C.AWS Snowball
- D.Amazon S3
Why B: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) is the correct choice because it supports continuous replication (change data capture) from an on-premises PostgreSQL source to Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL, enabling near-zero downtime migration. DMS can handle a 2 TB database by using a large replication instance and tuning task settings, and it automatically converts the source schema to the target RDS engine.
Variation 3. A data engineer is migrating an on-premises PostgreSQL database to Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL. The database is 2 TB in size and has a tight migration window. Which migration approach minimizes downtime?
medium- A.Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with full load only.
- B.Use pg_dump to export the database and pg_restore to import into RDS.
- C.Create a read replica in RDS and promote it when ready.
- ✓ D.Use AWS DMS with ongoing replication to capture changes during migration.
Why D: AWS DMS with ongoing replication (change data capture, CDC) allows you to perform a full load of the existing data and then continuously replicate incremental changes from the source PostgreSQL database to the target RDS for PostgreSQL. This minimizes downtime because you can keep the source database fully operational during the migration and only switch applications over after the target is fully synchronized, resulting in a very short cutover window.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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