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.
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.
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.)
AWS Glue
Glue can run scheduled ETL jobs from JDBC sources to S3.
AWS Snowball Edge
Why wrong: Snowball is for one-time large data transfer, not recurring schedule.
AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS)
DMS supports continuous replication to S3.
Amazon Athena
Why wrong: Athena queries data in S3, does not move data.
Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose
Why wrong: Firehose is for streaming data, not scheduled batch from databases.
Answer choices
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 Database Migration Service (DMS) can perform continuous replication from on-premises databases to S3. AWS Glue can run scheduled ETL jobs to pull data from on-premises sources via JDBC and write to S3. Option A is wrong because Snowball is a one-time physical transfer. Option D is wrong because Kinesis Data Firehose is for streaming, not scheduled batch. Option E is wrong because Athena is a query service, not a data movement tool.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
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.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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.
Common exam traps
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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 — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Data Engineering — This question tests Data Engineering — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Glue — AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) can perform continuous replication from on-premises databases to S3. AWS Glue can run scheduled ETL jobs to pull data from on-premises sources via JDBC and write to S3. Option A is wrong because Snowball is a one-time physical transfer. Option D is wrong because Kinesis Data Firehose is for streaming, not scheduled batch. Option E is wrong because Athena is a query service, not a data movement tool.
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.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
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.)
easyWhy B: Options A, B, and D are correct. AWS DMS can do continuous replication from Oracle to S3. Glue can transform the data. S3 is the target. Option C is wrong because SageMaker is for ML, not data ingestion. Option E is wrong because Athena is a query engine, not a data movement service.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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