DBS-C01 Deployment and Migration Practice Question
Which TWO AWS services can be used to migrate an on-premises SQL Server database to Amazon RDS for SQL Server?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers assume only AWS DMS is valid for database migrations, overlooking the fact that native SQL Server backup/restore to S3 is a fully supported and often simpler offline migration method for SQL Server to RDS.
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 DMS
AWS DMS (Database Migration Service) is correct because it is purpose-built for migrating databases to AWS with minimal downtime, supporting homogeneous migrations like SQL Server to Amazon RDS for SQL Server. It uses change data capture (CDC) to replicate ongoing changes, enabling near-zero downtime migrations. Native SQL Server backup to S3 and restore to RDS is also correct because SQL Server's native backup/restore mechanism can be used to take a full backup, upload it to Amazon S3, and then restore it directly onto an RDS for SQL Server instance, which is a supported and common offline migration method.
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 DataSync
Why it's wrong here
DataSync is for file-based data, not database migration.
- ✓
AWS DMS
Why this is correct
DMS supports SQL Server as source and target.
- ✓
Native SQL Server backup to S3 and restore to RDS
Why this is correct
RDS for SQL Server supports restoring from .bak files in S3.
- ✗
AWS Storage Gateway
Why it's wrong here
Storage Gateway is for hybrid storage, not database migration.
- ✗
AWS DynamoDB
Why it's wrong here
DynamoDB is a NoSQL database, not a migration service.
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 |
Go deeper
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.