DBS-C01 Deployment and Migration Practice Question
A company needs to migrate a 10 TB SQL Server database from on-premises to Amazon RDS for SQL Server with minimal downtime. The database is heavily used with frequent write operations. Which migration strategy should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates assume native backup/restore (Option A) is the simplest approach for large databases, but they overlook the requirement for minimal downtime and the fact that DMS with CDC is specifically designed for near-zero downtime migrations with ongoing writes.
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 on-premises database to RDS until cutover.
AWS DMS with ongoing replication (change data capture) allows a full load of the 10 TB database followed by continuous replication of write operations from the on-premises SQL Server to Amazon RDS for SQL Server. This minimizes downtime by keeping the target database synchronized until the cutover window, where only a brief pause is needed to apply final changes and switch traffic.
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 native SQL Server backup and restore to Amazon S3, then restore to RDS.
Why it's wrong here
Backup/restore requires downtime and does not support ongoing replication.
- ✗
Export the database to CSV files, upload to S3, and use the COPY command in RDS.
Why it's wrong here
Export/import approach requires significant downtime and is not efficient for large databases.
- ✗
Use AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) to convert the schema, then use AWS DMS for full load.
Why it's wrong here
SCT is for schema conversion; DMS full load alone does not provide minimal downtime without ongoing replication.
- ✓
Use AWS DMS with ongoing replication from the on-premises database to RDS until cutover.
Why this is correct
DMS ongoing replication enables minimal downtime by keeping the target current.
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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.