DBS-C01 Management and Operations Practice Question
A database specialist is managing an Amazon RDS for Oracle DB instance. The instance has a large amount of data and the specialist needs to migrate it to a new instance in a different AWS Region. Which method would minimize downtime and be the most efficient?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates assume cross-region read replicas are available for all RDS engines, but Amazon RDS for Oracle does not support cross-region read replicas, making Option C an invalid choice despite its appeal for minimizing downtime.
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 Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication to migrate to the target instance.
AWS DMS with ongoing replication (change data capture) allows you to perform a full load of the existing Oracle database to the target instance in the new region, and then continuously replicate changes from the source until you cut over. This minimizes downtime because you can keep the source database fully operational during the migration and only stop it for a brief period during the final switchover. It is the most efficient method for cross-region migrations because it handles schema conversion, data validation, and ongoing synchronization automatically.
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 Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication to migrate to the target instance.
Why this is correct
DMS supports minimal downtime with ongoing replication.
- ✗
Export the database to Amazon S3 using Oracle Data Pump, then import into the new instance.
Why it's wrong here
This method causes significant downtime and is not efficient for large data.
- ✗
Create a cross-region read replica and promote it.
Why it's wrong here
Cross-region read replicas are not supported for Oracle RDS.
- ✗
Take a full backup using Oracle RMAN, copy the backup files to the target region, and restore.
Why it's wrong here
RMAN backup/restore is not natively integrated across regions.
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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.