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Workload-Specific Database Design →easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

DBS-C01 Workload-Specific Database Design Practice Question

This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of workload-specific database design. 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 needs to migrate an on-premises PostgreSQL database to Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL. The database is 2 TB in size and has a 24/7 uptime requirement. Which AWS service should be used to perform the migration with minimal downtime?

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

✓

AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)

AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) is the correct choice because it supports ongoing replication from an on-premises PostgreSQL source to Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL, enabling a migration with minimal downtime. DMS can perform a full load of the 2 TB database and then continuously replicate changes using PostgreSQL's logical replication (via the pglogical extension or native slot-based replication) until the cutover, keeping the source available throughout the process.

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.

  • ✗

    AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT)

    Why it's wrong here

    SCT only converts schema, not data.

  • ✗

    AWS S3

    Why it's wrong here

    S3 is not a database migration service.

  • ✗

    pg_dump and pg_restore

    Why it's wrong here

    Requires downtime.

  • ✓

    AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)

    Why this is correct

    DMS supports live migration with CDC.

    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 often choose pg_dump and pg_restore (Option C) because they are familiar PostgreSQL tools, but they overlook the 24/7 uptime requirement and the fact that pg_dump requires a consistent snapshot, which for a 2 TB database would cause hours of downtime during the dump and restore process.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

DMS uses a replication instance to connect to the source PostgreSQL database via a change data capture (CDC) mechanism that reads the write-ahead log (WAL) or uses logical replication slots to capture ongoing changes without blocking writes. During the full load phase, DMS creates tables in the target Aurora cluster and then applies cached changes; the cutover window can be reduced to seconds by stopping writes to the source and letting DMS apply the final lag. In real-world scenarios, DMS can handle multi-terabyte databases by parallelizing table loads and using task settings like 'ParallelApplyBuffers' to optimize throughput.

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.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this DBS-C01 question test?

Workload-Specific Database Design — This question tests Workload-Specific Database Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) — AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) is the correct choice because it supports ongoing replication from an on-premises PostgreSQL source to Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL, enabling a migration with minimal downtime. DMS can perform a full load of the 2 TB database and then continuously replicate changes using PostgreSQL's logical replication (via the pglogical extension or native slot-based replication) until the cutover, keeping the source available throughout the process.

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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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.