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SAP-C02 Practice Question: Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization

Exhibit

Refer to the exhibit.

Error log from AWS DMS task:
"Last Error 1201: Could not start capture. The SQL Server log file 'LDF' is full. Stop the capture and free up space in the log file."

Task details:
- Source: SQL Server on EC2 (Full CDC mode)
- Target: Amazon Redshift
- DMS task type: Migrate existing data and replicate ongoing changes
- Task status: Failed with error after initial load completed successfully

A company is using AWS DMS to migrate a SQL Server database to Amazon Redshift. The initial full load completed, but the ongoing replication task failed with the error shown. What is the MOST likely cause?

⚠ Common exam trap

Test-takers frequently confuse a target-side issue (like missing primary key or unsupported LOB mode) with a source-side transaction log problem, because the error message explicitly mentions 'transaction log' but test-takers often overlook the source database context.

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

✓

The source SQL Server transaction log has not been backed up or truncated, causing it to become full.

The error indicates that AWS DMS cannot read the source SQL Server transaction log to capture ongoing changes. This typically occurs when the transaction log is full because it has not been backed up or truncated, preventing DMS from reading new log records for continuous replication. DMS relies on the source database's transaction log for CDC (Change Data Capture), and a full log blocks this process.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • ✗

    The DMS task is not configured to use a task log for troubleshooting.

    Why it's wrong here

    Task logging only records diagnostic output; it neither resumes replication nor resolves the underlying failure. It is tempting because logs are how you diagnose a failed task, and enabling one would be correct when you need visibility into why a task stopped, but it cannot itself fix the replication error.

  • ✓

    The source SQL Server transaction log has not been backed up or truncated, causing it to become full.

    Why this is correct

    A full transaction log halts SQL Server's ability to record further changes, so DMS change data capture cannot read new log records and the replication task fails. The stem's ongoing replication failure, following a successful full load, points to log growth from unbacked-up or untruncated logs rather than connectivity or permissions.

  • ✗

    The target Redshift table does not have a primary key defined for the DMS task to apply changes.

    Why it's wrong here

    DMS applies ongoing changes to Redshift using the target table's primary key to match and update rows, so its absence causes update and delete statements to fail during CDC, not the full load. A primary key is unnecessary when the target is append-only and receives inserts alone.

  • ✗

    The DMS task is using a full LOB mode, which is not supported for Redshift targets.

    Why it's wrong here

    Redshift targets do support LOB columns through DMS, so full LOB mode is not inherently rejected; the failure is more likely a primary key or apply-error issue. Full LOB mode is chosen when complete large-object fidelity matters and performance is secondary.

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Same concept, more angles

1 more way this is tested on SAP-C02

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 company is migrating a 5 TB Microsoft SQL Server database to Amazon RDS for SQL Server. The migration must have minimal downtime. The team uses AWS DMS with ongoing replication. During the full load, the task fails with an error indicating that the source server's transaction log is full. What should the team do to resolve this issue?

hard
  • A.Stop the DMS task, take a native backup of the source, restore it to RDS, and then start DMS with ongoing replication.
  • ✓ B.Increase the source server's transaction log size and set the log retention to a higher value.
  • C.Pause the DMS task, create a larger source instance, and restart the task.
  • D.Switch the DMS task to use batch-optimized apply mode.

Why B: The error indicates the source transaction log is full during the full load phase of AWS DMS. Increasing the transaction log size and setting a higher log retention value prevents the log from filling up while DMS reads it for ongoing replication. This allows the full load to complete without interruption, addressing the root cause directly.

JA

Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security

Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva

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.