DBS-C01 Deployment and Migration Practice Question
Which TWO options are valid methods for migrating an on-premises SQL Server database to Amazon RDS for SQL Server with minimal downtime? (Choose TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse 'native backup and restore with log shipping' (Option E) as a valid minimal-downtime method, but while log shipping can reduce downtime, it requires manual setup of a secondary database and is not natively supported by Amazon RDS for SQL Server without using AWS DMS or other tools; however, in this question, Option E is actually correct because you can use native backup/restore to seed the RDS instance and then use log shipping (via AWS DMS or manual T-SQL) to apply transaction log backups, achieving 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
✓
Use AWS DMS with ongoing replication from the source.
AWS DMS with ongoing replication (change data capture, CDC) is a valid method for migrating to Amazon RDS for SQL Server with minimal downtime because it allows you to perform a full load of the database and then continuously replicate incremental changes from the source until you cut over. This keeps the target nearly in sync, reducing the downtime window to seconds or minutes.
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 CloudEndure to replicate the entire server.
Why it's wrong here
CloudEndure is for server-level disaster recovery, not database migration.
- ✗
Copy the database files to Amazon S3 and restore to RDS.
Why it's wrong here
RDS for SQL Server does not support restore from S3.
- ✗
Use SQL Server Import/Export Wizard.
Why it's wrong here
This is an offline method and would cause downtime.
- ✓
Use AWS DMS with ongoing replication from the source.
Why this is correct
DMS can perform continuous replication to keep the target in sync.
- ✓
Use native backup and restore with log shipping to RDS.
Why this is correct
Native backup/restore with transaction log shipping can minimize downtime.
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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.