On-Premises Database Migration to S3 with AWS DMS and Glue
Which TWO AWS services can be used to move data from an on-premises database to Amazon S3 on a recurring schedule without writing custom code? (Choose 2.)
Quick Answer
The correct answer is AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) and AWS Glue, as both enable on-premises database migration to S3 without requiring custom code. AWS DMS handles continuous replication by reading changes from the source database’s transaction logs and writing them directly to S3 in a scheduled or ongoing fashion, while AWS Glue can run serverless ETL jobs on a recurring schedule, connecting to on-premises databases via JDBC and transforming the data before landing it in S3. On the AWS Certified Machine Learning Specialty MLS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of batch data ingestion patterns for machine learning pipelines, often appearing as a trap where candidates confuse streaming services like Kinesis Data Firehose or one-time physical transfers like Snowball with scheduled, code-free batch movement. A common memory tip is to think of DMS as the “replicator” for live sync and Glue as the “scheduler” for periodic pulls—together, they cover both continuous and batch needs without a single line of code.
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse AWS DMS with a one-time migration tool, overlooking its built-in scheduling and CDC capabilities, or they mistakenly think Kinesis Data Firehose can pull from on-premises databases via JDBC when it only accepts streaming data from AWS sources or custom producers.
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 Glue
AWS Glue is correct because it provides a fully managed ETL service that can run crawlers and jobs on a recurring schedule to extract data from on-premises databases (via JDBC connections) and write it to Amazon S3 without requiring any custom code. AWS DMS is correct because it supports continuous replication or scheduled tasks to migrate data from on-premises databases to S3 as a target, using built-in transformation capabilities and no custom scripting.
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 Glue
Why this is correct
Glue can run scheduled ETL jobs from JDBC sources to S3.
- ✗
AWS Snowball Edge
Why it's wrong here
Snowball is for one-time large data transfer, not recurring schedule.
- ✓
AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS)
Why this is correct
DMS supports continuous replication to S3.
- ✗
Amazon Athena
Why it's wrong here
Athena queries data in S3, does not move data.
- ✗
Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose
Why it's wrong here
Firehose is for streaming data, not scheduled batch from databases.
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
Related to this question
About these practice questions
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on MLS-C01
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A team wants to move data from an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon S3 for analytics. The pipeline must run daily and handle incremental updates. Which THREE services should they use together? (Choose three.)
easy- A.Amazon SageMaker
- ✓ B.Amazon S3
- C.Amazon Athena
- ✓ D.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
- ✓ E.AWS Glue
Why B: Amazon S3 is the correct destination for storing the data because it provides a scalable, durable, and cost-effective object storage solution ideal for analytics workloads. The pipeline requires daily incremental updates, and S3 integrates seamlessly with AWS DMS for continuous replication and AWS Glue for ETL processing, making it the central storage layer for the analytics pipeline.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.