- A
Upload the database dump directly to an S3 bucket using multipart upload.
Why wrong: A 2 TB database over 100 Mbps would take over 2 days just to upload, and downtime would be significant.
- B
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication to migrate the data with minimal downtime.
DMS can perform a full load and then continuously replicate changes, allowing a cutover with minimal downtime.
- C
Use AWS Snowball Edge to transfer the data offline.
Why wrong: Snowball Edge is for large offline transfers but shipping and processing can take multiple days, not meeting the one-week timeline.
- D
Use S3 Transfer Acceleration to speed up the upload of the dump file.
Why wrong: Transfer Acceleration improves upload speed but still limited by the 100 Mbps internet connection.
Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication. This is correct because DMS performs a live migration by taking an initial full load of the 2 TB database, then continuously replicating ongoing changes from the source to the target, allowing the cutover to happen in seconds rather than hours or days. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to minimize downtime database migration to RDS when bandwidth is a bottleneck—a common trap is to choose Snowball for large data volumes, but shipping delays would break the one-week deadline, while a direct upload would take over 46 hours just for the initial dump. The key insight is that DMS’s change data capture (CDC) feature keeps the target nearly synchronized, so the final switch is nearly instant. Memory tip: think “DMS = Delta Migration Sync” to remember that ongoing replication is what slashes downtime.
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. 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 company is migrating its on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. The database is 2 TB in size and has a 100 Mbps internet connection. The migration must be completed within a week and have minimal downtime. Which AWS service should the company use to transfer the initial database dump to AWS?
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
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication to migrate the data with minimal downtime.
Option B is correct because AWS DMS can perform a live migration with minimal downtime by replicating ongoing changes. Option A is wrong because direct upload via internet would take too long given bandwidth. Option C is wrong because Snowball is for offline data transfer, but would not meet the time constraint if shipping takes days. Option D is wrong because S3 Transfer Acceleration speeds up uploads but still limited by internet bandwidth.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Upload the database dump directly to an S3 bucket using multipart upload.
Why it's wrong here
A 2 TB database over 100 Mbps would take over 2 days just to upload, and downtime would be significant.
- ✓
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication to migrate the data with minimal downtime.
Why this is correct
DMS can perform a full load and then continuously replicate changes, allowing a cutover with minimal downtime.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- ✗
Use AWS Snowball Edge to transfer the data offline.
Why it's wrong here
Snowball Edge is for large offline transfers but shipping and processing can take multiple days, not meeting the one-week timeline.
- ✗
Use S3 Transfer Acceleration to speed up the upload of the dump file.
Why it's wrong here
Transfer Acceleration improves upload speed but still limited by the 100 Mbps internet connection.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
- The first matching ACL entry is used.
- There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
- Check inbound versus outbound direction.
- Read the ACL from top to bottom.
- Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SAP-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
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Design for New Solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication to migrate the data with minimal downtime. — Option B is correct because AWS DMS can perform a live migration with minimal downtime by replicating ongoing changes. Option A is wrong because direct upload via internet would take too long given bandwidth. Option C is wrong because Snowball is for offline data transfer, but would not meet the time constraint if shipping takes days. Option D is wrong because S3 Transfer Acceleration speeds up uploads but still limited by internet bandwidth.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SAP-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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
2 more ways 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 plans to migrate a relational database to Amazon RDS for MySQL. They need to minimize downtime during the migration. The source database is running on-premises. Which strategy should they use?
medium- ✓ A.Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication.
- B.Use AWS Snowball to transfer the data.
- C.Use mysqldump to export the database and import into RDS.
- D.Create a read replica of the on-premises database in RDS.
Why A: Option B is correct because AWS DMS supports ongoing replication to minimize downtime. Option A is incorrect because taking a backup and restoring causes downtime. Option C is incorrect because AWS Snowball is for large data transfer, not suitable for ongoing replication. Option D is incorrect because read replicas are for scaling reads, not migration.
Variation 2. A company wants to migrate an on-premises relational database to Amazon RDS for MySQL with minimal downtime. The database is 500 GB in size. Which AWS service should be used for the initial data load and ongoing replication?
easy- A.Use AWS Snowball to transfer the database files to RDS.
- B.Use an RDS read replica from the on-premises database.
- ✓ C.Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication.
- D.Export the database to Amazon S3 and import into RDS.
Why C: Option B is correct. AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) can perform a full load and then ongoing replication using change data capture (CDC) to minimize downtime. Option A is incorrect because RDS does not support native replication from on-premises. Option C is incorrect because S3 is for storage, not database migration. Option D is incorrect because Snowball is for offline data transfer, not ongoing replication.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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