DBS-C01 Deployment and Migration Practice Question
A company is moving a self-hosted MySQL database to Amazon Aurora MySQL. The current database uses InnoDB with full-text indexes and triggers. The migration must be done with zero downtime. Which approach meets these requirements?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to assume native MySQL binlog replication (Option C) is a fully supported zero-downtime option for migrating to Aurora MySQL. While Aurora does support this feature, it requires careful configuration and does not provide the managed CDC, schema conversion, and cutover capabilities that AWS DMS offers. Additionally, native replication requires manual handling of binary log positions and can lead to replication lag issues. Therefore, DMS is the recommended approach for a zero-downtime migration, making Option C less suitable despite its apparent viability.
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 with ongoing replication from the source MySQL database
AWS DMS with ongoing replication (change data capture) allows continuous synchronization from the source MySQL database to Amazon Aurora MySQL, enabling a zero-downtime migration. DMS captures incremental changes from the source's binary logs (binlog) and applies them to the target, so the database remains fully operational during the migration. This approach also supports InnoDB tables, full-text indexes, and triggers, as DMS handles schema and data replication for these features. Option C (native MySQL binlog replication) is supported by Aurora MySQL, but it requires an initial seed of data which introduces downtime because the source database typically needs to be in a read-only state for a consistent backup. In contrast, DMS with CDC avoids any initial downtime.
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 with ongoing replication from the source MySQL database
Why this is correct
AWS DMS with ongoing replication (change data capture) allows continuous synchronization from the source MySQL database to Amazon Aurora MySQL, enabling zero-downtime migration. DMS captures incremental changes from the source's binary logs and applies them to the target, keeping the database fully operational.
- ✗
Use mysqldump to export the database and import into Aurora
Why it's wrong here
Using mysqldump to export the database and import into Aurora requires taking a consistent snapshot, which typically involves locking tables or making the source read-only, causing downtime. This does not meet the zero-downtime requirement.
- ✗
Set up MySQL replication from on-premises to Aurora using native binlog replication
Why it's wrong here
Aurora MySQL does support native MySQL binlog replication from an external MySQL database, but this approach requires an initial seed of data from a consistent snapshot, which usually necessitates a read-only state on the source, leading to downtime. Additionally, it requires manual management of binary log positions, whereas DMS provides managed CDC and schema conversion.
- ✗
Export data to Amazon S3 and use Aurora's LOAD DATA FROM S3 command
Why it's wrong here
Exporting data to Amazon S3 and using Aurora's LOAD DATA FROM S3 command involves taking a full export, which requires the source database to be in a consistent state, often leading to downtime. This does not support ongoing replication for zero-downtime migration.
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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.