DBS-C01 Deployment and Migration Practice Question
A company is migrating an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. The database is 5 TB in size and has a daily change rate of 2%. The migration must have minimal downtime. Which migration strategy should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse RDS read replicas (which are only for RDS-to-RDS replication) with cross-database replication, or assume that a full load plus manual catch-up is sufficient for minimal downtime, ignoring the need for continuous CDC to handle ongoing changes.
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 from the source database.
AWS DMS with ongoing replication (change data capture, CDC) allows a full load of the 5 TB database followed by continuous replication of the 2% daily changes, minimizing downtime by keeping the target RDS instance nearly synchronized until cutover. This approach handles large databases and high change rates without requiring a lengthy final export/import window.
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 Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) to convert the schema, then use AWS DMS for full load only.
Why it's wrong here
SCT is for schema conversion, not needed. Full load only does not minimize downtime.
- ✗
Create an RDS read replica in the same region and promote it.
Why it's wrong here
Read replica is for within AWS, not for on-premises migration.
- ✓
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication from the source database.
Why this is correct
DMS with ongoing replication enables continuous sync and minimal downtime.
- ✗
Export the database to a dump file using Oracle Data Pump, upload to S3, and restore to RDS.
Why it's wrong here
Export/import causes significant downtime.
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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.