DBS-C01 Deployment and Migration Practice Question
A company is migrating a 1 TB SQL Server database to Amazon RDS for SQL Server. They want to use the native backup and restore feature. What must they do first?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to assume they can directly upload files to an RDS instance via the console or FTP, similar to an on-premises SQL Server, but RDS abstracts the underlying infrastructure and only supports S3 as the staging location for native backups.
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
✓
Upload the backup file to an Amazon S3 bucket.
To use the native backup and restore feature for migrating a SQL Server database to Amazon RDS, you must first upload the backup file to an Amazon S3 bucket. RDS for SQL Server supports restoring from backup files stored in S3 via the `RESTORE DATABASE` command, using the `FROM URL` option that references the S3 bucket. This is the only supported method for native restore, as RDS does not allow direct file system access or FTP transfers.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Upload the backup file to an Amazon S3 bucket.
Why this is correct
Native restore in RDS SQL Server requires the backup file to be in S3.
- ✗
Store the backup file on an EBS volume attached to the RDS instance.
Why it's wrong here
EBS volumes are not directly attached to RDS instances; RDS manages storage.
- ✗
Use FTP to transfer the backup file directly to the RDS instance.
Why it's wrong here
RDS does not allow direct FTP access to the instance.
- ✗
Use the AWS Management Console to upload the backup file to the RDS instance.
Why it's wrong here
RDS does not support direct upload of backup files via console.
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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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DBS-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 DBS-C01 exam.