- A
Network latency between source and target.
Why wrong: Affects both equally.
- B
Performance requirements of the target database.
May influence engine choice.
- C
Amount of application code changes needed.
Why wrong: Important but not a factor for migration type choice; it's a consequence.
- D
Schema compatibility between source and target.
Critical for heterogeneous.
- E
Licensing costs of the target database engine.
Important cost consideration.
DBS-C01 Deployment and Migration Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of deployment and migration. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Which THREE factors should be considered when choosing between a homogeneous migration and a heterogeneous migration to Amazon RDS? (Select THREE.)
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
Performance requirements of the target database.
A homogeneous migration (e.g., MySQL to RDS MySQL) typically requires minimal schema changes, preserves performance characteristics, and maintains existing licensing costs. A heterogeneous migration (e.g., Oracle to RDS PostgreSQL) requires schema conversion (validating schema compatibility), may require re-architecting to meet performance requirements due to different query optimizers, and can change licensing costs (e.g., eliminating Oracle licenses). Therefore, factors B, D, and E directly influence the choice between homogeneous and heterogeneous migrations.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Network latency between source and target.
Why it's wrong here
Affects both equally.
- ✓
Performance requirements of the target database.
Why this is correct
May influence engine choice.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amount of application code changes needed.
Why it's wrong here
Important but not a factor for migration type choice; it's a consequence.
- ✓
Schema compatibility between source and target.
Why this is correct
Critical for heterogeneous.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Licensing costs of the target database engine.
Why this is correct
Important cost consideration.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse migration method factors (e.g., network latency, downtime tolerance) with migration type factors (e.g., schema compatibility, licensing, performance), leading them to select A as a relevant consideration when it only applies to the migration approach, not the choice between homogeneous and heterogeneous.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Homogeneous migrations leverage native database dump/restore tools (e.g., mysqldump, pg_dump) or AWS DMS with minimal schema transformation, preserving query plans and stored procedures. Heterogeneous migrations require AWS SCT to convert schema objects, data types, and PL/SQL to equivalent constructs (e.g., Oracle packages to PostgreSQL functions), which can introduce subtle semantic differences in transaction isolation levels (e.g., Oracle's READ COMMITTED vs. PostgreSQL's default READ COMMITTED with snapshot isolation). A real-world scenario is migrating from Oracle to RDS Aurora PostgreSQL, where Oracle's CONNECT BY hierarchical queries must be rewritten as recursive CTEs, impacting performance if not optimized.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DBS-C01 question test?
Deployment and Migration — This question tests Deployment and Migration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Performance requirements of the target database. — A homogeneous migration (e.g., MySQL to RDS MySQL) typically requires minimal schema changes, preserves performance characteristics, and maintains existing licensing costs. A heterogeneous migration (e.g., Oracle to RDS PostgreSQL) requires schema conversion (validating schema compatibility), may require re-architecting to meet performance requirements due to different query optimizers, and can change licensing costs (e.g., eliminating Oracle licenses). Therefore, factors B, D, and E directly influence the choice between homogeneous and heterogeneous migrations.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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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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