- A
AWS DataSync
Why wrong: DataSync is for file-level transfers, not database migrations.
- B
AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
DMS is designed for database migrations and supports S3 as a target.
- C
AWS Glue
Why wrong: Glue is for ETL, not direct database migration to S3.
- D
Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration
Why wrong: Transfer Acceleration speeds up uploads to S3 but does not handle database extraction.
Question 1,249 of 1,755
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 data engineer is tasked with building a data pipeline that moves data from an on-premises database to Amazon S3 for analytics. The database is a MySQL instance that is 2 TB in size. The company has a 1 Gbps dedicated network connection to AWS (AWS Direct Connect). The data must be transferred once daily. The engineer needs to choose the most efficient and reliable service for this task. Which service should they use?
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 is purpose-built for migrating databases to AWS, supporting continuous replication and one-time migrations from MySQL to Amazon S3. It can handle the 2 TB dataset efficiently over a 1 Gbps Direct Connect link by using change data capture (CDC) for ongoing replication and parallel tasks for throughput, ensuring reliability with built-in monitoring and restart capabilities.
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 DataSync
Why it's wrong here
DataSync is for file-level transfers, not database migrations.
- ✓
AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
Why this is correct
DMS is designed for database migrations and supports S3 as a target.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS Glue
Why it's wrong here
Glue is for ETL, not direct database migration to S3.
- ✗
Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration
Why it's wrong here
Transfer Acceleration speeds up uploads to S3 but does not handle database extraction.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS DataSync (a file-transfer service) with a database migration tool, overlooking that DMS is the only option that natively supports extracting data from a relational database like MySQL and writing it to Amazon S3 in a structured format.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS DMS uses a replication instance to connect to the source MySQL database via JDBC, performing a full load using parallel table-level tasks and then optionally applying CDC via MySQL binary logs (binlog) to capture ongoing changes. For a 2 TB database over 1 Gbps Direct Connect, DMS can achieve high throughput by tuning task settings (e.g., MaxFullLoadSubTasks, BatchApplyEnabled) and using LOB (Large Object) handling modes, while also providing automatic failover and validation checks to ensure data integrity.
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.
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 |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this MLS-C01 question test?
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: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) — AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) is the correct choice because it is purpose-built for migrating databases to AWS, supporting continuous replication and one-time migrations from MySQL to Amazon S3. It can handle the 2 TB dataset efficiently over a 1 Gbps Direct Connect link by using change data capture (CDC) for ongoing replication and parallel tasks for throughput, ensuring reliability with built-in monitoring and restart capabilities.
What should I do if I get this MLS-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.
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 →
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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