Question 39 of 1,786
Data Ingestion and TransformationhardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Using AWS DMS for Near Real-Time Change Data Capture from Oracle to S3

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 company is building a data lake on S3 and needs to ingest data from on-premises Oracle database. The data is 5 TB and changes incrementally. The ingestion must capture changes in near real-time (less than 1 minute latency) and be cost-effective. Which approach 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

Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication to S3

AWS DMS with ongoing replication captures incremental changes from Oracle using its native change data capture (CDC) mechanism, such as Oracle LogMiner or binary logs, and streams them to S3 in near real-time with latency under 1 minute. This approach is cost-effective because DMS charges only for the compute resources used during replication, and S3 storage is inexpensive, making it ideal for a 5 TB dataset with continuous changes.

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.

  • Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication to S3

    Why this is correct

    DMS supports CDC and can replicate changes to S3 with low latency.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • Use Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose with an Oracle JDBC connector

    Why it's wrong here

    Firehose does not natively support Oracle as a source; custom solution needed.

  • Use AWS Glue to perform a full table export daily

    Why it's wrong here

    Full export does not provide near real-time CDC.

  • Use AWS DataSync to sync the Oracle data files to S3

    Why it's wrong here

    DataSync is for file systems, not databases.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates often confuse Kinesis Data Firehose's ability to accept data from custom sources with native JDBC support, leading them to choose Option B, but Firehose lacks built-in CDC connectors for relational databases like Oracle.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

DMS ongoing replication uses Oracle's LogMiner or direct binary log reading to capture changes as they occur, converting them into Apache Parquet or CSV format for S3 output, with a typical latency of seconds to a minute depending on transaction volume. Under the hood, DMS maintains a replication slot or log position to ensure exactly-once delivery, and it can handle schema evolution by mapping Oracle data types to S3 formats automatically. In a real-world scenario, if the Oracle database has high transaction rates (e.g., thousands of TPS), DMS can scale by increasing the replication instance size, whereas Firehose would require custom sharding and error handling.

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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.

Quick reference

AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison

Storage ClassMin DurationRetrievalUse Case
S3 StandardNoneImmediateFrequently accessed data
S3 Standard-IA30 daysImmediateInfrequent access, rapid retrieval
S3 One Zone-IA30 daysImmediateNon-critical infrequent data
S3 Intelligent-TieringNoneImmediate–hoursUnknown or changing access patterns
S3 Glacier Instant90 daysMillisecondsArchive with instant retrieval
S3 Glacier Flexible90 daysMinutes–hoursArchive, flexible retrieval
S3 Glacier Deep Archive180 daysHoursLong-term compliance archive

What to study next

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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: Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication to S3 — AWS DMS with ongoing replication captures incremental changes from Oracle using its native change data capture (CDC) mechanism, such as Oracle LogMiner or binary logs, and streams them to S3 in near real-time with latency under 1 minute. This approach is cost-effective because DMS charges only for the compute resources used during replication, and S3 storage is inexpensive, making it ideal for a 5 TB dataset with continuous changes.

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.

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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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.