The correct answer is AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) and AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication. AWS DMS enables a minimal downtime Oracle to RDS migration by performing a full load of the 2 TB database and then continuously replicating changes using Change Data Capture (CDC), keeping the target synchronized with the source until you cut over. AWS SCT is essential here because it converts the Oracle schema to the Amazon RDS for Oracle format, handling any incompatible objects or code. On the PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of heterogeneous database migrations under high transaction loads; a common trap is choosing AWS Snowball for large data volumes, but that introduces downtime because it requires an offline transfer. Remember the memory tip: “DMS for the data flow, SCT for the schema show” — both are required for a live, low-downtime cutover.
PAS-C01 Migration Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of migration. 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 a critical Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. The database is 2 TB in size and has a high transaction rate. The migration must have minimal downtime. Which TWO AWS services or features should be used to achieve this? (Choose two.)
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 (DMS) with ongoing replication
AWS DMS with ongoing replication (change data capture) is the correct approach for minimal downtime migration. AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) is used for schema conversion, which is necessary when moving to RDS Oracle. Option B (AWS Server Migration Service) is for server migration, not databases. Option C (AWS DataSync) is for file/object transfers. Option D (AWS Snowball) is for large offline data transfer, not suitable for minimal downtime.
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.
✗
AWS DataSync
Why it's wrong here
DataSync is used for moving large amounts of data to and from AWS storage services, not for database replication.
✓
AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication
Why this is correct
AWS DMS supports ongoing replication to keep the target database in sync with the source, enabling minimal downtime migration.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
AWS Snowball
Why it's wrong here
Snowball is for offline data transfer, which would cause significant downtime.
✗
AWS Server Migration Service (SMS)
Why it's wrong here
SMS is for migrating on-premises servers to AWS as AMIs, not for database migration.
✓
AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT)
Why this is correct
SCT is needed to convert the source Oracle schema to Amazon RDS Oracle compatible format.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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 PAS-C01 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Migration — This question tests Migration — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication — AWS DMS with ongoing replication (change data capture) is the correct approach for minimal downtime migration. AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) is used for schema conversion, which is necessary when moving to RDS Oracle. Option B (AWS Server Migration Service) is for server migration, not databases. Option C (AWS DataSync) is for file/object transfers. Option D (AWS Snowball) is for large offline data transfer, not suitable for minimal downtime.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 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 PAS-C01 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 →
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 critical Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. They need to minimize downtime and ensure data consistency. Which AWS service should they use to perform an online migration with minimal impact?
easy
A.AWS Direct Connect
✓ B.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
C.AWS Snowball
D.Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration
Why B: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) supports ongoing replication and can perform live migrations with minimal downtime. AWS Snowball is for offline data transfer. S3 Transfer Acceleration speeds up uploads to S3. Direct Connect establishes dedicated network connections but is not a migration service.
Variation 2. A company is migrating an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. The database is 2 TB in size and has a high transaction rate. The migration must have minimal downtime. Which AWS service should be used for the migration?
medium
A.AWS Snowball Edge
B.AWS Server Migration Service (SMS)
C.AWS DataSync
✓ D.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
Why D: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) supports ongoing replication to minimize downtime during migration. Option A is wrong because AWS Server Migration Service is for server migrations, not databases. Option C is wrong because AWS DataSync is for file-based data transfers. Option D is wrong because AWS Snowball is for large-scale offline data transfer, not suitable for minimal downtime scenarios.
Variation 3. A company is migrating an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. The database is 2 TB and has a 4-hour maintenance window. Which AWS service should be used to minimize downtime during the migration?
easy
✓ A.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
B.AWS Server Migration Service (SMS)
C.AWS Application Migration Service (MGN)
D.AWS DataSync
Why A: AWS DMS supports ongoing replication to minimize downtime. Option A (AWS SMS) is for server migration, not database. Option B (AWS DataSync) is for file storage. Option D (AWS MGN) is for server migration.
Variation 4. A company is migrating an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. The database size is 500 GB, and the network bandwidth between the on-premises data center and AWS is 100 Mbps. The migration must minimize downtime. Which AWS service should the company use for the initial data load?
easy
✓ A.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
B.AWS Snowball
C.AWS Direct Connect
D.AWS S3 Transfer Acceleration
Why A: AWS DMS can perform a full load and then continuously replicate changes to minimize downtime. AWS Snowball is for large offline data transfer, but the network might be sufficient; however, DMS is the recommended migration service for databases. Option B (AWS Database Migration Service) is correct because it supports ongoing replication to reduce downtime. Option A (AWS Snowball) is for offline transfer, not minimal downtime with continuous replication. Option C (AWS S3 Transfer Acceleration) is for file transfers, not database migration. Option D (AWS Direct Connect) improves network but does not perform data migration.
Variation 5. A company is migrating an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. The database is 2 TB in size and has a 4-hour maintenance window. Which AWS service should be used to minimize downtime during the migration?
medium
A.AWS Server Migration Service
✓ B.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
C.AWS Data Pipeline
D.AWS Snowball
Why B: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) supports ongoing replication to minimize downtime. Option A (AWS Server Migration Service) is for server-level migrations. Option C (AWS Data Pipeline) is for data processing. Option D (AWS Snowball) is for large data transfers but not minimal downtime.
Variation 6. A company is migrating an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. The database is 2 TB in size and has a 24-hour migration window. The company has a 1 Gbps dedicated connection to AWS. Which migration approach minimizes downtime?
medium
A.Use AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT) to convert the schema and AWS DMS for full load only.
B.Use native Oracle Data Pump export and import to transfer the database over the dedicated connection.
✓ C.Use AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) with ongoing replication from the on-premises database to Amazon RDS.
D.Use AWS DataSync to copy the database files to Amazon S3, then restore to Amazon RDS.
Why C: AWS DMS with ongoing replication allows continuous data synchronization, minimizing downtime by enabling a cutover with minimal data loss. Option A is wrong because AWS SCT is for schema conversion, not data migration. Option B is wrong because a native Oracle export/import requires downtime for the export and import operations. Option D is wrong because AWS DataSync is for file-based data, not databases.
Variation 7. A company is migrating an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. The database is 2 TB in size and has a 24-hour maintenance window. The migration must minimize downtime and support ongoing replication during the cutover. Which AWS service should be used for the migration?
medium
A.AWS Snowball Edge
✓ B.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
C.Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration
D.AWS Server Migration Service (SMS)
Why B: Option C is correct because AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) supports ongoing replication from on-premises to RDS with minimal downtime, and can handle large databases using change data capture (CDC). Option A is wrong because AWS Snowball is for large data transfers but does not support ongoing replication. Option B is wrong because AWS Server Migration Service is for server-level migrations, not databases. Option D is wrong because Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration speeds up uploads to S3 but does not directly migrate databases.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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