Quick Answer
The correct approach is to use AWS Snowball Edge for the initial load followed by AWS DMS with Change Data Capture (CDC). This is the most effective method because a 1 TB SQL Server database over a 50 Mbps link would take over 46 hours for a full network transfer, making it impractical for minimizing downtime. Snowball Edge bypasses bandwidth constraints by physically shipping the seed data to AWS, after which DMS handles ongoing replication via CDC over the low-bandwidth link, reducing the final cutover window to minutes. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of hybrid migration strategies where bandwidth is a bottleneck; a common trap is choosing a full online DMS transfer, which ignores the impractical transfer time. Remember the memory tip: “Snowball seeds, DMS feeds”—the Snowball handles the heavy initial lift, while DMS feeds the incremental changes.
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of deployment and migration. 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 SQL Server database to Amazon RDS for SQL Server. They need to minimize downtime and have a limited network bandwidth of 50 Mbps. The database size is 1 TB. What is the MOST effective approach?
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.
Use AWS DMS with CDC over the network.
Why wrong: Initial load of 1 TB at 50 Mbps would take days, exceeding downtime window.
Use AWS SCT to compress data before transfer.
Why wrong: SCT does not compress data.
Use AWS Snowball Edge to transfer initial load, then DMS for CDC.
Snowball accelerates initial transfer, CDC handles changes.
Use native SQL Server backup and restore to Amazon S3.
Why wrong: Backup over network also slow.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Use AWS Snowball Edge to transfer initial load, then DMS for CDC.
Option C is correct because the 1 TB database size combined with a 50 Mbps network bandwidth would require over 46 hours for the initial load, making a full network transfer impractical. AWS Snowball Edge allows you to transfer the initial 1 TB seed data offline via a physical appliance, bypassing bandwidth constraints. After the seed is loaded into RDS, AWS DMS with Change Data Capture (CDC) can then replicate ongoing changes over the network, minimizing downtime to only the final cutover window.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Use AWS DMS with CDC over the network.
Why it's wrong here
Initial load of 1 TB at 50 Mbps would take days, exceeding downtime window.
Use AWS SCT to compress data before transfer.
Why it's wrong here
SCT does not compress data.
Use AWS Snowball Edge to transfer initial load, then DMS for CDC.
Why this is correct
Snowball accelerates initial transfer, CDC handles changes.
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.
Use native SQL Server backup and restore to Amazon S3.
Why it's wrong here
Backup over network also slow.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates assume DMS with CDC alone can handle the full migration, underestimating the time required for the initial load over limited bandwidth, and overlook the offline seeding option provided by Snowball Edge.
Detailed technical explanation
AWS Snowball Edge uses a ruggedized storage device with built-in compute capabilities, allowing you to export the SQL Server database as a native backup or use AWS DMS to write the full load to the device. Once the device is shipped back and ingested into an S3 bucket, you can restore the backup to RDS or use DMS to migrate the seed data. The CDC phase then uses log-based replication (transaction log reader) to capture incremental changes, which typically requires only a few Mbps of bandwidth, making it feasible over 50 Mbps.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
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FAQ
Deployment and Migration — This question tests Deployment and Migration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Use AWS Snowball Edge to transfer initial load, then DMS for CDC. — Option C is correct because the 1 TB database size combined with a 50 Mbps network bandwidth would require over 46 hours for the initial load, making a full network transfer impractical. AWS Snowball Edge allows you to transfer the initial 1 TB seed data offline via a physical appliance, bypassing bandwidth constraints. After the seed is loaded into RDS, AWS DMS with Change Data Capture (CDC) can then replicate ongoing changes over the network, minimizing downtime to only the final cutover window.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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