- A
Take a native backup of the source, upload to S3, and restore to RDS
Native backup/restore is efficient for large databases and supports minimal downtime.
- B
Use AWS DMS with full load and ongoing replication
Why wrong: DMS can achieve minimal downtime but initial load may be slower than backup/restore.
- C
Create an RDS read replica from the EC2-hosted database
Why wrong: RDS read replicas cannot be created from EC2 instances.
- D
Use the SQL Server Import and Export Wizard
Why wrong: The wizard is not suitable for large databases and requires downtime.
Question 136 of 1,730
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.
A company is migrating a 5 TB Microsoft SQL Server database to Amazon RDS for SQL Server. The migration must have minimal downtime. The source database is hosted on an EC2 instance. Which combination of steps should be taken?
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
✓
Take a native backup of the source, upload to S3, and restore to RDS
Option A is correct because native backup and restore to Amazon RDS for SQL Server is the fastest and most reliable method for migrating a large database like 5 TB with minimal downtime. By taking a full backup, uploading it to Amazon S3, and restoring it to RDS, you avoid the overhead of ongoing replication setup and can schedule the final cutover during a brief maintenance window. This approach leverages RDS's native support for restoring from S3, ensuring data integrity and minimizing the migration window.
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.
- ✓
Take a native backup of the source, upload to S3, and restore to RDS
Why this is correct
Native backup/restore is efficient for large databases and supports minimal downtime.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use AWS DMS with full load and ongoing replication
Why it's wrong here
DMS can achieve minimal downtime but initial load may be slower than backup/restore.
- ✗
Create an RDS read replica from the EC2-hosted database
Why it's wrong here
RDS read replicas cannot be created from EC2 instances.
- ✗
Use the SQL Server Import and Export Wizard
Why it's wrong here
The wizard is not suitable for large databases and requires downtime.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume AWS DMS is always the best choice for minimal downtime migrations, but for large SQL Server databases, native backup and restore to RDS is simpler, faster, and more reliable, especially when the source is on EC2 and the target is RDS.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Native backup and restore to RDS for SQL Server uses the BACKUP DATABASE command to create a .bak file, which is then uploaded to an S3 bucket using the AWS CLI or SQL Server's native backup to URL feature. RDS automatically handles the restore process via the rds_restore_database stored procedure, which downloads the backup from S3 and applies it to the RDS instance. This method is particularly effective for large databases because it leverages parallel restore operations and avoids the overhead of DMS's CDC, which can introduce latency and require additional resources for change capture.
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 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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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: Take a native backup of the source, upload to S3, and restore to RDS — Option A is correct because native backup and restore to Amazon RDS for SQL Server is the fastest and most reliable method for migrating a large database like 5 TB with minimal downtime. By taking a full backup, uploading it to Amazon S3, and restoring it to RDS, you avoid the overhead of ongoing replication setup and can schedule the final cutover during a brief maintenance window. This approach leverages RDS's native support for restoring from S3, ensuring data integrity and minimizing the migration window.
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: Jul 4, 2026
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