DBS-C01 Deployment and Migration Practice Question
A company needs to migrate a 2 TB PostgreSQL database from an on-premises data center to Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL. The network bandwidth is limited to 100 Mbps. The migration window is 5 days. Which approach is most cost-effective and likely to succeed?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often overestimate the need for offline transfer (Snowball) or expensive dedicated connections (Direct Connect) when the bandwidth and time window are actually sufficient for an online migration, leading them to ignore the cost-effectiveness of a VPN-based DMS approach.
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 a VPN connection to the on-premises database
AWS DMS with a VPN connection can handle the migration of 2 TB over 100 Mbps within 5 days. At 100 Mbps, the theoretical maximum transfer is about 1.08 TB per day (100 Mbps * 86400 seconds / 8 bits per byte / 1024^3), so 2 TB would take roughly 1.85 days of continuous transfer, well within the 5-day window. DMS supports ongoing replication to minimize downtime, and a VPN is cost-effective compared to Direct Connect for a one-time migration.
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 a VPN connection to the on-premises database
Why this is correct
DMS can migrate online within bandwidth constraints.
- ✗
Set up AWS Direct Connect and use DMS
Why it's wrong here
Direct Connect provisioning may take more than 5 days.
- ✗
Use AWS Snowball Edge to transfer data offline
Why it's wrong here
Shipping may exceed the 5-day window.
- ✗
Export to Amazon S3 and import into Aurora
Why it's wrong here
Aurora PostgreSQL does not support direct S3 import.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on DBS-C01
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company wants to migrate a 10 TB Microsoft SQL Server database from on-premises to Amazon RDS for SQL Server. The migration must be completed within a week and minimize network bandwidth usage. Which approach is most suitable?
easy- A.Back up the database to Amazon S3 using AWS CLI
- B.Set up AWS Direct Connect and use DMS
- C.Use AWS DMS over the internet
- ✓ D.Use AWS Snowball Edge to transfer backup files, then restore to RDS
Why D: AWS Snowball Edge is the most suitable approach because it allows you to transfer the 10 TB database backup files physically, bypassing the internet entirely. This eliminates network bandwidth constraints and ensures the migration can be completed within a week, as the data is shipped to AWS and then restored to Amazon RDS for SQL Server using native restore operations.
JA
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.