- A
Use AWS DMS over the internet to migrate data.
Why wrong: Bandwidth insufficient for 10 TB in 5 days.
- B
Use AWS Snowball Edge to transfer the initial full load, then AWS DMS for ongoing changes.
Snowball is fast and cost-effective for large data transfer.
- C
Use AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) to convert and then upload to S3.
Why wrong: SCT does not handle data transfer.
- D
Use AWS DMS with AWS Direct Connect at 1 Gbps.
Why wrong: Direct Connect may not be available immediately; also costly.
Question 13 of 1,730
DBS-C01 Deployment and Migration Practice Question
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 10 TB Oracle Data Warehouse to Amazon Redshift. The source database runs on premises with limited bandwidth (100 Mbps). The migration must complete within 5 days. Which approach is most cost-effective and meets the timeline?
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 Snowball Edge to transfer the initial full load, then AWS DMS for ongoing changes.
Option B is correct because the 10 TB dataset over a 100 Mbps link would take approximately 10 days (10 TB * 8 / 100 Mbps / 86400 seconds/day) for a full load, exceeding the 5-day window. AWS Snowball Edge provides a physical, high-bandwidth transfer for the initial full load, bypassing network constraints, and AWS DMS then captures and applies ongoing changes (CDC) to keep the target in sync. This combination is the most cost-effective as it avoids expensive Direct Connect and meets the timeline.
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 over the internet to migrate data.
Why it's wrong here
Bandwidth insufficient for 10 TB in 5 days.
- ✓
Use AWS Snowball Edge to transfer the initial full load, then AWS DMS for ongoing changes.
Why this is correct
Snowball is fast and cost-effective for large data transfer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) to convert and then upload to S3.
Why it's wrong here
SCT does not handle data transfer.
- ✗
Use AWS DMS with AWS Direct Connect at 1 Gbps.
Why it's wrong here
Direct Connect may not be available immediately; also costly.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often overlook the bandwidth calculation and assume DMS over Direct Connect is always the fastest and most cost-effective, but the question explicitly asks for the most cost-effective solution that meets the timeline, and Snowball Edge avoids the high recurring costs of Direct Connect for a one-time migration.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Snowball Edge uses a ruggedized device with built-in storage (up to 80 TB usable) and edge compute, allowing data to be copied locally via NFS or S3-compatible endpoints, then shipped to AWS for ingestion into S3. For ongoing changes, AWS DMS uses a change data capture (CDC) mechanism that reads the Oracle redo logs to capture incremental changes without impacting source performance, and applies them to Redshift using a target-preparation phase that creates staging tables. In real-world scenarios, the Snowball-to-DMS pattern is ideal for large datasets with tight deadlines, as it decouples the initial bulk transfer from the continuous replication, minimizing downtime and network dependency.
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.
Visual reference
What to study next
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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 Snowball Edge to transfer the initial full load, then AWS DMS for ongoing changes. — Option B is correct because the 10 TB dataset over a 100 Mbps link would take approximately 10 days (10 TB * 8 / 100 Mbps / 86400 seconds/day) for a full load, exceeding the 5-day window. AWS Snowball Edge provides a physical, high-bandwidth transfer for the initial full load, bypassing network constraints, and AWS DMS then captures and applies ongoing changes (CDC) to keep the target in sync. This combination is the most cost-effective as it avoids expensive Direct Connect and meets the timeline.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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