- A
Use AWS DMS to perform a full load and then ongoing replication from the source MongoDB.
DMS supports MongoDB as source and DocumentDB as target with ongoing replication.
- B
Use the MongoDB change streams feature to replicate changes to DocumentDB in real time.
Why wrong: Possible but more complex; DMS is the recommended managed service.
- C
Set up AWS Direct Connect to the source and use mongorestore directly to DocumentDB.
Why wrong: Still requires downtime; Direct Connect just speeds network.
- D
Export the data using mongodump, transfer to Amazon S3, and import using mongorestore.
Why wrong: Requires significant downtime during dump and restore.
Question 687 of 1,730
Migrate MongoDB to Amazon DocumentDB Using AWS DMS with Change Data Capture
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of deployment and migration. 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 is migrating a 5 TB MongoDB database to Amazon DocumentDB. They have a short maintenance window and need to minimize downtime. Which migration strategy should be used?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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 to perform a full load and then ongoing replication from the source MongoDB.
AWS DMS supports MongoDB as a source and Amazon DocumentDB as a target, enabling a full load of the 5 TB database followed by ongoing change data capture (CDC) using MongoDB's oplog. This minimizes downtime by keeping the target nearly synchronized during the migration window, allowing a final cutover with minimal interruption.
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.
- ✓
Use AWS DMS to perform a full load and then ongoing replication from the source MongoDB.
Why this is correct
DMS supports MongoDB as source and DocumentDB as target with ongoing replication.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use the MongoDB change streams feature to replicate changes to DocumentDB in real time.
Why it's wrong here
Possible but more complex; DMS is the recommended managed service.
- ✗
Set up AWS Direct Connect to the source and use mongorestore directly to DocumentDB.
Why it's wrong here
Still requires downtime; Direct Connect just speeds network.
- ✗
Export the data using mongodump, transfer to Amazon S3, and import using mongorestore.
Why it's wrong here
Requires significant downtime during dump and restore.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume MongoDB change streams are a universal replication mechanism, but DocumentDB does not support consuming them as a target, and AWS DMS is the only fully managed service that provides both full load and ongoing replication for this specific source-target pair.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS DMS for MongoDB to DocumentDB migrations leverages the MongoDB oplog (capped collection) for CDC, reading operations sequentially to apply them to DocumentDB. The full load phase uses parallel table-level or collection-level loading to maximize throughput, while the CDC phase captures inserts, updates, and deletes with minimal latency. In practice, for a 5 TB database, the full load may take hours, but the CDC phase can keep the target within seconds of the source, enabling a cutover window of minutes.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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Deployment and Migration — study guide chapter
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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: Use AWS DMS to perform a full load and then ongoing replication from the source MongoDB. — AWS DMS supports MongoDB as a source and Amazon DocumentDB as a target, enabling a full load of the 5 TB database followed by ongoing change data capture (CDC) using MongoDB's oplog. This minimizes downtime by keeping the target nearly synchronized during the migration window, allowing a final cutover with minimal interruption.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
8 more ways 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 media company is migrating a 5 TB MongoDB database to Amazon DocumentDB. The migration must have minimal downtime. The source MongoDB uses sharding across 10 shards. Which migration strategy is MOST appropriate?
hard- A.Use native MongoDB replication to sync to DocumentDB
- ✓ B.Use AWS DMS with MongoDB as source and DocumentDB as target, enabling CDC
- C.Export data to S3 and use AWS Glue to load into DocumentDB
- D.Use mongoexport to export data and mongoimport to import into DocumentDB
Why B: AWS DMS with CDC (Change Data Capture) is the most appropriate strategy because it supports ongoing replication from a sharded MongoDB source to Amazon DocumentDB, enabling near-zero downtime migration. DMS can handle the 5 TB dataset and 10 shards by using the MongoDB oplog to capture changes after the initial full load, ensuring minimal interruption to the media company's operations.
Variation 2. A company needs to migrate a 100 GB MongoDB database to Amazon DocumentDB (with MongoDB compatibility). The migration must have minimal impact on the source database performance. Which approach should the company take?
easy- ✓ A.Use AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) with ongoing replication from the MongoDB source.
- B.Use AWS DataSync to transfer the MongoDB data files.
- C.Set up a MongoDB replica set on Amazon EC2 and promote it to primary, then migrate to DocumentDB.
- D.Use mongodump to export the data and mongorestore to import into DocumentDB.
Why A: AWS DMS with ongoing replication is the correct approach because it supports continuous change data capture (CDC) from MongoDB, enabling a live migration with minimal performance impact on the source. DMS reads the MongoDB oplog to capture changes without locking the database, which is critical for a 100 GB production database. This allows the target DocumentDB to stay synchronized until cutover, reducing downtime and avoiding the need for a full export/import that would strain the source.
Variation 3. A company wants to migrate an on-premises MongoDB database to Amazon DocumentDB. The migration should be performed with minimal application changes. Which AWS service should be used?
easy- A.Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration
- B.AWS DataSync
- C.AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT)
- ✓ D.AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS)
Why D: AWS DMS is the correct service because it supports homogeneous migrations from MongoDB to Amazon DocumentDB, including ongoing replication via change data capture (CDC) to minimize downtime. It handles schema conversion automatically for compatible data types, requiring minimal application changes since DocumentDB is MongoDB-compatible. AWS DMS can migrate data directly from a MongoDB source to a DocumentDB target without needing an intermediate schema transformation tool.
Variation 4. A company wants to migrate an on-premises MongoDB database to Amazon DocumentDB. The migration must be performed with minimal downtime and should support live data synchronization. Which AWS service should be used?
easy- A.AWS Glue with streaming ETL jobs.
- B.AWS Data Pipeline to schedule periodic data loads.
- C.AWS S3 with AWS Lambda functions to sync data.
- ✓ D.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication.
Why D: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication is the correct choice because it supports continuous change data capture (CDC) from a source MongoDB database to Amazon DocumentDB, enabling live data synchronization with minimal downtime. DMS can perform a full load followed by ongoing replication using the MongoDB oplog to capture and apply changes in near real-time, which meets the requirement for minimal downtime during migration.
Variation 5. A company is migrating a 10 TB MongoDB database to Amazon DocumentDB. The migration must have minimal downtime. Which strategy should be used?
hard- A.Use mongodump to export the database and mongorestore to import into DocumentDB.
- B.Use AWS CloudEndure to replicate the MongoDB server to DocumentDB.
- C.Copy the database files to Amazon S3 and restore to DocumentDB.
- ✓ D.Use AWS DMS with MongoDB as source and DocumentDB as target, with change data capture.
Why D: AWS DMS with MongoDB as source and DocumentDB as target, using change data capture (CDC), is the correct strategy because it enables a live migration with minimal downtime. DMS performs an initial full load of the 10 TB database and then continuously replicates ongoing changes from the MongoDB oplog, allowing you to cut over to DocumentDB with only a brief pause.
Variation 6. A company is migrating a 500 GB MongoDB database to Amazon DocumentDB. The migration must have minimal impact on the source database. Which approach should the company take?
medium- A.Use mongodump to export the data, then use mongorestore to import into DocumentDB.
- B.Use mongoexport to export CSV, then use the DocumentDB import tool.
- ✓ C.Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with MongoDB as source and DocumentDB as target.
- D.Use AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) to convert schema, then copy data.
Why C: AWS DMS supports ongoing replication from MongoDB to Amazon DocumentDB, enabling a live migration with minimal impact on the source database. DMS uses the MongoDB oplog to capture changes continuously, so the source is only read during the initial load and then tailed for CDC, avoiding heavy locks or performance degradation.
Variation 7. A company is migrating an on-premises MongoDB database to Amazon DocumentDB. The migration must be online with minimal downtime. The source MongoDB is version 4.0 and uses replica sets. Which tool should the company use?
hard- A.Use MongoDB Compass to export data and import into DocumentDB.
- B.Use mongodump and mongorestore.
- C.Create a read replica of the MongoDB replica set and promote to DocumentDB.
- ✓ D.Use AWS DMS with MongoDB as source and DocumentDB as target.
Why D: AWS DMS (Database Migration Service) supports continuous replication from MongoDB (including replica sets) to Amazon DocumentDB, enabling an online migration with minimal downtime. DMS uses the MongoDB oplog to capture ongoing changes, ensuring data consistency during the cutover. This is the only option that meets the requirement for an online migration with minimal downtime.
Variation 8. A company is migrating an on-premises MongoDB database to Amazon DocumentDB. The migration must be online with minimal downtime. Which AWS service should be used?
easy- A.AWS DataSync
- ✓ B.AWS DMS
- C.AWS S3
- D.AWS Snowball Edge
Why B: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) is the correct choice because it supports ongoing replication (change data capture) from MongoDB to Amazon DocumentDB, enabling an online migration with minimal downtime. DMS can perform a full load of existing data and then continuously replicate changes from the source MongoDB oplog to keep the target DocumentDB synchronized until cutover.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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