The answer is to increase the compute capacity of the DMS replication instance. This directly addresses the root cause of slow AWS DMS full load performance and growing CDC lag because a larger instance provides more CPU and memory, which accelerates the initial data transfer from the 2 TB on-premises Db2 database and prevents the replication engine from falling behind during ongoing changes. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that DMS throughput is often bottlenecked by the replication instance size, not the source database, especially when the network link is adequate. A common trap is to assume you must optimize the source database or switch to offline methods like Snowball, but those break the requirement for minimal downtime and ongoing replication. Remember the memory tip: when CDC lag grows, think “compute first”—scale up the DMS instance before touching the source or network.
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 their SAP ERP system running on an on-premises IBM Db2 database to Amazon RDS for Db2. The migration must have minimal downtime. The current database size is 2 TB. The network link between on-premises and AWS is 1 Gbps. The migration team plans to use AWS DMS with a full load followed by ongoing replication. During a test migration, they notice that the full load takes longer than expected, causing the change data capture (CDC) lag to grow. They need to adjust the migration approach to meet the downtime window. What should they do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Increase the compute capacity of the DMS replication instance
Option A is correct because using a larger instance for the DMS replication instance increases throughput for the full load, reducing the time and preventing CDC lag growth. Option B is wrong because the database is on-premises, not RDS. Option C is wrong because CDC is already in use; parallel tasks would complicate and may not help. Option D is wrong because Snowball is for offline transfer, which would not allow ongoing replication.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Use multiple DMS tasks in parallel for the full load
Why it's wrong here
Parallel tasks may cause conflicts and are not recommended for CDC.
✓
Increase the compute capacity of the DMS replication instance
Why this is correct
A larger replication instance can process the full load faster.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create an RDS read replica to offload the initial load
Why it's wrong here
The source is on-premises, not RDS.
✗
Use AWS Snowball to transfer the initial load and then resume CDC
Why it's wrong here
Snowball would interrupt ongoing replication and cause more downtime.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which PAS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Migration — This question tests Migration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Increase the compute capacity of the DMS replication instance — Option A is correct because using a larger instance for the DMS replication instance increases throughput for the full load, reducing the time and preventing CDC lag growth. Option B is wrong because the database is on-premises, not RDS. Option C is wrong because CDC is already in use; parallel tasks would complicate and may not help. Option D is wrong because Snowball is for offline transfer, which would not allow ongoing replication.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which PAS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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. An organization is migrating their SAP ERP system running on SAP ASE (Sybase) to Amazon RDS for SAP ASE. They have a 5 TB database and a 1 Gbps network. They need to keep the migration window under 6 hours. They plan to use AWS DMS with full load and CDC. During the full load, they notice that the DMS replication instance is using 100% CPU and the full load is progressing slowly. What should they do to meet the migration window?
medium
✓ A.Increase the instance size of the DMS replication instance
B.Switch to using AWS Snowball for the initial load
C.Increase the compute capacity of the source database
D.Disable CDC and perform only a full load
Why A: Option A is correct because using a larger DMS replication instance provides more CPU and memory, speeding up the full load. Option B is wrong because they are already using CDC; changing to full load only would cause more downtime. Option C is wrong because increasing source database resources may not help due to network and DMS capacity. Option D is wrong because Snowball is for offline transfer, not for ongoing replication.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
Question Discussion
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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.
Question Discussion
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