The answer is to use AWS DMS with a full load and ongoing replication. This approach is correct because the 50 Mbps network connection can transfer 200 GB in roughly 9-10 hours, fitting within the 24-hour window, while ongoing replication captures live changes during the migration, reducing actual downtime to just the final cutover—well under the 8-hour limit. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of balancing network throughput, data volume, and downtime requirements; a common trap is choosing a full load only (which requires a long outage) or a larger instance (which increases cost unnecessarily). Remember the key trade-off: for databases under 1 TB with moderate network speeds, DMS with ongoing replication is the cost-effective, low-downtime solution—think "full load plus CDC" for minimal cutover.
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.
An organization wants to migrate a 200 GB MySQL database from an on-premises server to Amazon Aurora MySQL. They have a 50 Mbps network connection. The database is 8 hours of downtime. The migration must be completed within 24 hours and costs must be minimized. The team decides to use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS). Which approach best meets the requirements?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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 with a full load and ongoing replication to minimize downtime.
Option B is correct: using a DMS full load with ongoing replication minimizes downtime and works within the network constraints. Option A is wrong because taking a dump over the network would take too long. Option C is wrong because using a larger instance is unnecessary and costly. Option D is wrong because using Snowball is overkill for 200 GB.
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.
✗
Create a mysqldump and transfer it over the network to S3, then restore to Aurora.
Why it's wrong here
Network transfer at 50 Mbps would take ~9 hours; plus dump/restore time exceeds 24 hours.
✓
Use AWS DMS with a full load and ongoing replication to minimize downtime.
Why this is correct
DMS can handle full load and CDC within constraints.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use AWS Snowball Edge to transfer the data physically.
Why it's wrong here
Snowball adds days for shipping; not needed for 200 GB.
✗
Provision a large EC2 instance to run a parallel export and import.
Why it's wrong here
Network bottleneck remains; cost higher.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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.
Identify which DBS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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 with a full load and ongoing replication to minimize downtime. — Option B is correct: using a DMS full load with ongoing replication minimizes downtime and works within the network constraints. Option A is wrong because taking a dump over the network would take too long. Option C is wrong because using a larger instance is unnecessary and costly. Option D is wrong because using Snowball is overkill for 200 GB.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which DBS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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 →
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 company has a 50 GB MariaDB database on an on-premises server. They want to migrate to Amazon RDS for MariaDB. They have a 100 Mbps network connection. The migration window is 2 hours. The database can be offline for up to 30 minutes. Which migration approach is most appropriate?
easy
A.Use AWS DMS with ongoing replication.
B.Use AWS Snowball to transfer the database files.
✓ C.Create a MariaDB dump, transfer to an EC2 instance in the same region, then import to RDS.
D.Use AWS SCT to convert schema and then use DMS.
Why C: Option A is correct: creating a dump and importing is straightforward and can be done within the window. Option B is wrong because DMS may require more setup. Option C is wrong because Snowball is overkill. Option D is wrong because SCT is for schema conversion, not needed here.
Variation 2. Which TWO of the following are valid methods to migrate an on-premises MySQL database to Amazon RDS for MySQL? (Select TWO.)
easy
A.Use pg_dump to export the data and import into RDS.
✓ B.Use AWS DMS to migrate from on-premises MySQL to RDS.
C.Use SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) to migrate the data.
D.Use Oracle Data Pump to export the data and import into RDS.
✓ E.Use mysqldump to export the database and import it into RDS.
Why B: AWS DMS (Database Migration Service) is a fully managed service designed to migrate databases to AWS with minimal downtime. It supports homogeneous migrations like MySQL to Amazon RDS for MySQL, handling schema conversion, data replication, and ongoing changes via change data capture (CDC). This makes option B a valid and recommended method for migrating an on-premises MySQL database to RDS.
Variation 3. Which TWO AWS services can be used together to migrate an on-premises MySQL database to Amazon Aurora MySQL with minimal downtime? (Select TWO.)
easy
✓ A.AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT)
B.Amazon Route 53
C.AWS CloudFormation
✓ D.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
E.AWS Global Accelerator
Why A: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) can perform continuous replication from an on-premises MySQL source to an Amazon Aurora MySQL target using change data capture (CDC), enabling near-zero downtime. The AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) is used to assess and convert the source schema, including any incompatible objects, to ensure the Aurora target is ready for migration. Together, SCT handles schema transformation while DMS handles the ongoing data replication.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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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.
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