This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of workload-specific database design. 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 runs a MongoDB workload on Amazon EC2 and wants to migrate to Amazon DocumentDB. The database has a total size of 2 TB and experiences 10,000 writes per second during peak. Which migration strategy minimizes downtime?
Export data using mongodump and import with mongorestore.
Why wrong: Requires application downtime.
Use AWS Glue to stream data to DocumentDB.
Why wrong: Glue is not designed for real-time replication.
Use AWS DMS with continuous replication.
DMS supports live migration with minimal downtime.
Copy data files to Amazon S3 and load into DocumentDB.
Why wrong: No direct load from S3.
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 DMS with continuous replication.
AWS DMS with continuous replication (change data capture) is the correct strategy because it allows you to keep the source MongoDB and target DocumentDB synchronized in near-real time, minimizing downtime to a brief cutover window. For a 2 TB database with 10,000 writes per second, a full export/import would take hours and require significant downtime, while DMS handles the initial full load and then continuously applies ongoing changes until you switch over.
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.
Export data using mongodump and import with mongorestore.
Why it's wrong here
Requires application downtime.
Use AWS Glue to stream data to DocumentDB.
Why it's wrong here
Glue is not designed for real-time replication.
Use AWS DMS with continuous replication.
Why this is correct
DMS supports live migration with minimal downtime.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Copy data files to Amazon S3 and load into DocumentDB.
Why it's wrong here
No direct load from S3.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often assume a simple export/import (mongodump/mongorestore) is sufficient, but they overlook the requirement for minimal downtime with a high-write workload, where only a CDC-capable tool like DMS can keep the target synchronized during migration.
Detailed technical explanation
AWS DMS for MongoDB to DocumentDB uses the MongoDB oplog to capture ongoing changes (inserts, updates, deletes) after the initial full load, enabling near-zero downtime migration. The initial load creates a consistent snapshot, and then DMS continuously applies oplog entries to the target, allowing you to stop writes on the source and cut over in minutes. For high-write workloads, ensure the source MongoDB oplog is large enough to retain changes during the full load phase, or DMS may lose changes if the oplog wraps.
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
Workload-Specific Database Design — This question tests Workload-Specific Database Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Use AWS DMS with continuous replication. — AWS DMS with continuous replication (change data capture) is the correct strategy because it allows you to keep the source MongoDB and target DocumentDB synchronized in near-real time, minimizing downtime to a brief cutover window. For a 2 TB database with 10,000 writes per second, a full export/import would take hours and require significant downtime, while DMS handles the initial full load and then continuously applies ongoing changes until you switch over.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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