The answer is AWS Snowball Edge, because transferring 10 TB of data to S3 over a 100 Mbps connection would take approximately 10 days, far exceeding the 3-day deadline, whereas Snowball Edge physically ships the data, bypassing network bandwidth entirely. This solution is correct because Snowball Edge is a ruggedized storage device designed for large-scale offline data transfer, making it the only viable option when network speed is the bottleneck. On the AWS Certified Machine Learning Specialty MLS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of when to choose physical data transport over network-based services like DataSync or S3 Transfer Acceleration, which cannot overcome severe bandwidth constraints. A common trap is assuming Transfer Acceleration can magically solve slow links, but it only optimizes existing network paths, not the underlying pipe size. Remember the memory tip: “When the pipe is too small, ship the ball.”
MLS-C01 Data Engineering Practice Question
This MLS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data engineering. 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 move 10 TB of data from an on-premises NAS to Amazon S3 over a 100 Mbps internet connection. The transfer must complete within 3 days. Which solution is the most appropriate?
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 data
Option D is correct because AWS Snowball Edge is a physical device that can transfer large data volumes faster than internet. Option A is wrong because over 100 Mbps, 10 TB would take ~10 days; Option B is wrong because AWS DataSync requires network; Option C is wrong because S3 Transfer Acceleration improves speed only up to ~200% at best, still insufficient.
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 DataSync to transfer over the internet
Why it's wrong here
DataSync is faster than CLI but still limited by bandwidth.
✗
Enable S3 Transfer Acceleration on the bucket
Why it's wrong here
Acceleration improves speed but not enough to meet 3-day window.
✗
Use AWS CLI to copy data directly over the internet
Why it's wrong here
Insufficient bandwidth; would take ~10 days.
✓
Use AWS Snowball Edge to transfer the data
Why this is correct
Snowball Edge provides physical transport, faster than internet for large data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 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 MLS-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.
Data Engineering — This question tests Data Engineering — 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 data — Option D is correct because AWS Snowball Edge is a physical device that can transfer large data volumes faster than internet. Option A is wrong because over 100 Mbps, 10 TB would take ~10 days; Option B is wrong because AWS DataSync requires network; Option C is wrong because S3 Transfer Acceleration improves speed only up to ~200% at best, still insufficient.
What should I do if I get this MLS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which MLS-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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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This MLS-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 MLS-C01 exam.
Question Discussion
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