Quick Answer
The correct choice is AWS Database Migration Service (DMS), as it is specifically designed for heterogeneous migrations like moving from SAP ASE (Sybase) to Amazon Aurora with minimal downtime. DMS achieves this by using change data capture (CDC) to continuously replicate ongoing transactions from the source to the target, allowing the source system to remain fully operational until a brief cutover window. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of how to minimize business disruption during a database migration, often appearing in scenario-based questions that contrast DMS with tools like AWS Server Migration Service or native database dump-and-load methods. A common trap is assuming you need a homogeneous migration tool or a separate replication service, but DMS handles both schema conversion and ongoing replication for SAP ASE to Aurora. Memory tip: think “DMS = Data Must Sync” for continuous replication with minimal downtime.
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 SAP system to AWS and needs to ensure that the database migration from SAP ASE to Amazon Aurora is successful with minimal downtime. Which AWS service should be used?
AWS Snowball Edge
Why wrong: Snowball is offline, not minimal downtime.
AWS Server Migration Service (SMS)
Why wrong: SMS is for server-level migrations.
AWS DataSync
Why wrong: DataSync is for file-based data.
AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
DMS supports heterogeneous migrations and ongoing replication.
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 Database Migration Service (DMS)
AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) is the correct choice because it supports heterogeneous migrations from SAP ASE (Sybase) to Amazon Aurora with minimal downtime. DMS can continuously replicate ongoing changes from the source database to the target using change data capture (CDC), allowing the source system to remain operational during the migration and enabling a cutover with only a brief outage.
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 Snowball Edge
Why it's wrong here
Snowball is offline, not minimal downtime.
AWS Server Migration Service (SMS)
Why it's wrong here
SMS is for server-level migrations.
AWS DataSync
Why it's wrong here
DataSync is for file-based data.
AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
Why this is correct
DMS supports heterogeneous migrations and ongoing replication.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse AWS DMS with AWS DataSync, assuming DataSync can handle database migrations, but DataSync is strictly for file-based data transfers and lacks the heterogeneous database replication capabilities required for SAP ASE to Aurora.
Detailed technical explanation
AWS DMS uses a replication instance to connect to the source SAP ASE database via ODBC/JDBC and captures changes using native transaction log reading (e.g., Sybase transaction log). For minimal downtime, DMS performs a full load of existing data, then applies ongoing changes from the source's transaction logs to the target Aurora database, supporting a nearly seamless cutover. In real-world SAP migrations, careful tuning of the DMS task settings (e.g., LOB handling, parallel load threads) is critical to avoid performance impact on the production SAP system.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Migration — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Migration — This question tests Migration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) — AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) is the correct choice because it supports heterogeneous migrations from SAP ASE (Sybase) to Amazon Aurora with minimal downtime. DMS can continuously replicate ongoing changes from the source database to the target using change data capture (CDC), allowing the source system to remain operational during the migration and enabling a cutover with only a brief outage.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This PAS-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 PAS-C01 exam.
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