SAP-C02 Practice Question: Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization
A company is migrating an on-premises Oracle database to AWS. The database is 2 TB in size and has a low-latency connection to AWS via AWS Direct Connect. The company wants to minimize downtime during the migration. Which AWS service should the architect use for the initial data load?
⚠ Common exam trap
SAP-C02 often tests the confusion between DataSync (file transfer), Snowball (offline bulk), and DMS (database migration), causing candidates to pick DataSync for a database workload.
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 (AWS DMS)
AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) is purpose-built for migrating databases to AWS with minimal downtime, supporting homogeneous and heterogeneous migrations, and it performs the initial full load plus ongoing change data capture (CDC) to keep the target in sync until cutover. For a 2 TB Oracle database over Direct Connect, DMS is the correct choice for the initial data load.
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
AWS DataSync copies file and object data, not live Oracle database blocks, so it cannot perform the initial database load this migration requires. It is tempting because DataSync excels at accelerating large-scale file transfers over Direct Connect, and would be the right choice for migrating file shares or S3 data.
- ✗
AWS Snowball Edge
Why it's wrong here
Snowball Edge suits offline transfer where network bandwidth is poor; here Direct Connect provides low-latency connectivity, so shipping a device adds handling time and increases downtime. It is tempting because Snowball Edge handles large datasets, but it is the wrong fit when a fast, reliable network path already exists.
- ✗
AWS Server Migration Service (AWS SMS)
Why it's wrong here
AWS SMS migrates server workloads, not Oracle database contents, so it cannot perform the initial data load. It is tempting because SMS handles large-scale migrations, but it is designed for virtual machine rehosting, not database-level replication. The correct choice is AWS DMS with a Direct Connect link.
- ✓
AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS)
Why this is correct
AWS DMS performs the initial full load and ongoing change data capture replication, keeping the source Oracle database available while data transfers over the existing Direct Connect link. This satisfies the requirement to minimise downtime, unlike offline export or backup-based approaches.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Amazon Web Services exam blueprint
This SAP-C02 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 SAP-C02 exam.