DBS-C01 Management and Operations Practice Question
A company is migrating a PostgreSQL database to Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL. The database has a large table that is frequently accessed. The team wants to minimize downtime during the migration. Which TWO strategies should be used together?
⚠ Common exam trap
The DBS-C01 exam often tests the misconception that a manual snapshot or read replica setup can achieve near-zero downtime, but candidates overlook that snapshots require downtime for consistency and Aurora cannot be a read replica of an external PostgreSQL instance.
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 DMS to create a target Aurora DB cluster and replicate data.
AWS DMS can perform a full load of the source PostgreSQL database to Aurora and then set up ongoing change data capture (CDC) replication to apply incremental changes, minimizing downtime by allowing the source to remain operational until cutover. Option A is correct because DMS can create and manage the target Aurora cluster as part of the replication task, while option D is correct because the combination of full load plus ongoing replication is the standard approach for near-zero downtime migrations.
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 DMS to create a target Aurora DB cluster and replicate data.
Why this is correct
DMS can migrate data to Aurora with ongoing replication to minimize downtime.
- ✗
Take a manual snapshot of the source database and restore it to Aurora.
Why it's wrong here
This approach requires stopping writes (downtime) to ensure consistency.
- ✗
Use AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT) to convert the schema.
Why it's wrong here
SCT is for schema conversion, but the stem assumes the target is already compatible; data migration is needed.
- ✓
Use AWS DMS to perform a full load followed by ongoing replication.
Why this is correct
DMS can replicate data with minimal downtime by applying changes continuously.
- ✗
Configure Aurora as a read replica of the PostgreSQL instance.
Why it's wrong here
Aurora cannot be a read replica of an external PostgreSQL instance.
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