The correct approach is to use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication. This method minimizes downtime by first performing a full load of the 500 GB database, then continuously replicating incremental changes from the on-premises MySQL source to the Amazon RDS target using change data capture (CDC). Because the target stays synchronized in near real-time, you can cut over to RDS in seconds rather than taking the source offline for hours. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of DMS’s ongoing replication feature for zero-downtime migrations—a common trap is choosing a snapshot-based or backup-restore approach, which requires extended downtime for the final sync. Remember the key distinction: full load alone is not enough; you need CDC to keep the target current until cutover. A helpful memory tip is “DMS with CDC: sync now, cut over later.”
DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
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 company is migrating an on-premises MySQL database to Amazon RDS for MySQL. The database is 500 GB and has a 24/7 uptime requirement. The migration must minimize downtime. Which approach should be used?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication to migrate the data.
AWS DMS with ongoing replication (change data capture) allows you to perform a full load of the 500 GB database and then continuously replicate changes from the on-premises MySQL source to the Amazon RDS target. This minimizes downtime because you can cut over to RDS in seconds after the target is synchronized, rather than taking the source offline for an extended period.
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.
✗
Take a snapshot of the on-premises database, convert it to a volume, and restore to RDS.
Why it's wrong here
This is not a standard procedure and would still require downtime to create a consistent snapshot.
✓
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication to migrate the data.
Why this is correct
DMS supports ongoing replication, minimizing downtime by allowing a final cutover after the initial load.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Export the database using mysqldump and import it into RDS using mysql command.
Why it's wrong here
This approach requires significant downtime as the source must be locked during export.
✗
Create an RDS MySQL read replica from the on-premises database using native replication.
Why it's wrong here
RDS read replicas are only for RDS instances, not for on-premises databases.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose mysqldump (Option C) because it is a familiar tool, but they overlook the requirement for minimal downtime and the fact that a 500 GB dump/import would take hours, violating the 24/7 uptime requirement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS DMS uses a replication instance to connect to the source MySQL database and capture changes via binary log (binlog) position-based replication. During the full load phase, DMS creates tables and loads data in parallel, and then switches to ongoing replication using the binlog to apply incremental changes. The cutover is typically a matter of seconds, as you only need to stop writes to the source, let DMS catch up, and then redirect traffic to the RDS endpoint.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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 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: Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication to migrate the data. — AWS DMS with ongoing replication (change data capture) allows you to perform a full load of the 500 GB database and then continuously replicate changes from the on-premises MySQL source to the Amazon RDS target. This minimizes downtime because you can cut over to RDS in seconds after the target is synchronized, rather than taking the source offline for an extended period.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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 →
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 is migrating an on-premises MySQL database to Amazon RDS for MySQL. The database is 500 GB in size. The migration must have minimal downtime and must be completed within a week. Which AWS service should the data engineer use to perform the migration?
easy
A.Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration.
B.AWS Snowball Edge.
C.AWS DataSync.
✓ D.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS).
Why D: Option A is correct because AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) supports minimal downtime migration with ongoing replication from on-premises to RDS. Option B is incorrect because S3 is object storage, not for database migration. Option C is incorrect because Snowball is for large data transfer but involves shipping and is not suitable for minimal downtime. Option D is incorrect because DataSync is for file storage, not databases.
Variation 2. A company is migrating a MySQL database to Amazon RDS for MySQL. The database is 2 TB in size and the company can only afford minimal downtime. The migration must be secure and use AWS DMS. Which TWO configuration steps are required? (Choose TWO.)
easy
✓ A.Create a source endpoint pointing to the on-premises MySQL database.
✓ B.Create a target endpoint pointing to the Amazon RDS instance.
C.Configure SSL/TLS encryption for the DMS endpoints.
D.Set up VPC peering between the on-premises network and the Amazon VPC.
E.Create a DMS replication instance.
Why A: AWS DMS requires a source endpoint (source database connection) and a target endpoint (RDS instance). Option C is the source endpoint, option D is the target endpoint. The other options are not required for DMS: SSL/TLS is optional but recommended, replication instance is created by DMS, and VPC peering is not typically needed if using the same VPC.
Variation 3. A company is migrating its on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. The database is 2 TB in size and has a 24-hour maintenance window. The migration must have minimal downtime. Which AWS service should be used for the migration?
medium
A.Amazon RDS native backup and restore
✓ B.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
C.Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration
D.AWS Snowball Edge
Why B: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) is the correct choice because it supports heterogeneous migrations (Oracle to RDS for Oracle) with minimal downtime using ongoing replication via Oracle LogMiner or binary reader. DMS can perform a full load of the 2 TB database and then continuously replicate changes from the source to the target during the 24-hour maintenance window, allowing a final cutover with only seconds of downtime.
Variation 4. A company is migrating its on-premises PostgreSQL database to Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL. The database is 5 TB in size and supports a critical application that requires less than 30 minutes of downtime. The company has a 1 Gbps network connection to AWS. The data engineering team plans to use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with change data capture (CDC) to keep the target in sync. During the full load phase, DMS is taking longer than expected, and the team is concerned about meeting the downtime window. Which action should the team take to speed up the full load?
medium
A.Increase the compute capacity of the target RDS instance.
B.Enable DMS validation to ensure data integrity.
C.Use AWS Snowball Edge to transfer the data offline.
✓ D.Create multiple DMS tasks to load different tables in parallel.
Why D: Creating multiple DMS tasks to load different tables in parallel (Option D) is the correct action because DMS performs full load sequentially within a single task. By splitting tables across multiple tasks, the team can parallelize the data transfer, utilizing the 1 Gbps network more efficiently and reducing the overall full load time to meet the 30-minute downtime window.
Variation 5. A company is migrating an on-premises MongoDB database to Amazon DocumentDB. The migration must have minimal downtime. Which service should be used to perform the migration?
medium
A.AWS Glue
B.AWS DataSync
✓ C.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
D.Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration
Why C: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) is the correct choice because it supports continuous replication from MongoDB to Amazon DocumentDB using change data capture (CDC), enabling near-zero downtime migrations. DMS can perform a full load of existing data and then apply ongoing changes from the source MongoDB oplog, keeping the target DocumentDB synchronized until the cutover.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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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.
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