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Minimizing Downtime for Database Migration to RDS Using AWS DMS

A company is migrating an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. They need to minimize downtime and ensure data consistency. Which AWS service or feature should they use?

Quick Answer

Minimizing downtime while ensuring data consistency during a database migration is the classic use case for AWS Database Migration Service used with ongoing replication: DMS performs an initial full load of the existing data and then continuously captures and applies subsequent changes through change data capture, keeping the target database synchronized with the source right up until the actual cutover happens. Because the target stays current throughout the migration rather than only being populated once at the start, the actual downtime window can be reduced to just the brief moment needed to redirect the application to the new database, rather than requiring the source to be taken offline for the entire data transfer. It's worth being clear about what each of the other options actually does, since none of them perform this kind of live data migration: an RDS Read Replica is a scaling feature for distributing read traffic against an existing database, not a migration mechanism; VPC Peering is purely a networking feature that connects two VPCs together and has no role in moving data between databases; and AWS SCT converts database schema and code between engines but doesn't move the actual data, which is why it's often paired with DMS rather than being an alternative to it. Whenever a scenario specifically asks for minimized downtime plus data consistency during a database migration, DMS with ongoing replication is the pattern to expect as the answer.

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

✓

AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) with ongoing replication

(AWS DMS with ongoing replication) is correct because it supports a full load followed by continuous change data capture (CDC) replication, enabling minimal downtime and data consistency during migration from on-premises Oracle to Amazon RDS for Oracle. Option B (RDS Read Replica) is wrong because it is used for scaling read traffic, not for migrating data. Option C (VPC Peering) is a networking feature that connects VPCs but does not perform data migration. Option D (AWS SCT) is wrong because it only converts database schemas and code, not the actual data.

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 Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) with ongoing replication

    Why this is correct

    DMS with ongoing replication supports near-zero downtime migration.

  • ✗

    RDS Read Replica

    Why it's wrong here

    Read Replicas are for read offloading, not migration.

  • ✗

    VPC Peering

    Why it's wrong here

    VPC Peering connects networks, not databases.

  • ✗

    AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT)

    Why it's wrong here

    AWS SCT is used for schema conversion, not data replication.

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Same concept, more angles

8 more ways this is tested on PAS-C01

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 large Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. They want to minimize downtime during the migration. Which AWS service should they use to replicate data in real time?

easy
  • A.AWS Server Migration Service (SMS)
  • B.AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT)
  • ✓ C.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
  • D.AWS DataSync

Why C: AWS DMS (Database Migration Service) supports ongoing replication with minimal downtime, making it ideal for migrating large databases like Oracle to Amazon RDS for Oracle while keeping the source and target in sync. Option A (AWS SMS) is for server migration, not database replication. Option B (AWS SCT) is a schema conversion tool, not for real-time data replication. Option D (AWS DataSync) is for file-based data transfer, not database replication.

Variation 2. A company is planning to migrate a legacy Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. The database is 500 GB and has a 24/7 workload. The company needs minimal downtime. Which AWS service should be used for the migration?

easy
  • A.AWS Command Line Interface (CLI)
  • B.AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT)
  • C.AWS Snowball
  • ✓ D.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)

Why D: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS). AWS DMS supports homogeneous migrations (Oracle to Oracle) and can perform minimal-downtime migrations by using change data capture (CDC) to replicate ongoing changes after the initial full load. Option A (AWS CLI) is not a migration service; it's a command-line tool for managing AWS services. Option B (AWS Schema Conversion Tool) is used for converting schema when migrating between different database engines, not for data migration itself. Option C (AWS Snowball) is a physical data transfer device for large datasets, but it does not support minimal-downtime online migrations for a 24/7 workload.

Variation 3. A company is migrating a legacy on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. They need to minimize downtime. Which AWS service should they use for ongoing replication during the migration?

easy
  • A.AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT)
  • B.AWS Server Migration Service (SMS)
  • ✓ C.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
  • D.AWS DataSync

Why C: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication (change data capture) allows near-zero downtime migration. Option A (AWS Schema Conversion Tool) is wrong because it is a schema conversion tool, not a replication service. Option B (AWS Server Migration Service) is wrong because it is for server migration, not database replication. Option D (AWS DataSync) is wrong because it is for file/object storage, not database replication.

Variation 4. A company is migrating a legacy SAP HANA database (version 1.0) to SAP HANA on Amazon EC2 (version 2.0) with minimal downtime. Which AWS service should be used for the migration?

easy
  • A.Use SAP HANA System Replication to replicate the source database to an Amazon RDS for SAP HANA instance.
  • ✓ B.Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with change data capture (CDC) from the source SAP HANA database.
  • C.Export the database to flat files, upload to Amazon S3, and restore using an RDS read replica.
  • D.Use AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) to convert the schema and then use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) for data replication.

Why B: AWS DMS supports homogeneous migrations for SAP HANA and can replicate data with minimal downtime using change data capture (CDC). Option B is correct because DMS can migrate data from SAP HANA 1.0 to SAP HANA 2.0 on EC2 with CDC to minimize downtime. Option A is incorrect because RDS does not support SAP HANA, and read replicas cannot be created from an on-premises source. Option C is incorrect because exporting to flat files and restoring via an RDS read replica is not a valid procedure and would cause downtime. Option D is incorrect because SCT is for schema conversion between different database engines, but since both source and target are SAP HANA, no schema conversion is needed; DMS alone is sufficient.

Variation 5. A company is migrating an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. They want to minimize downtime. Which AWS service should they use for the initial data load and ongoing replication?

easy
  • A.AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT)
  • ✓ B.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
  • C.AWS Snowball
  • D.AWS DataSync

Why B: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) supports ongoing replication from Oracle to RDS Oracle, enabling minimal downtime migration. Option A is incorrect because AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) is for schema conversion, not replication. Option C is incorrect because AWS Snowball is for large-scale data transfer, not continuous replication. Option D is incorrect because AWS DataSync is optimized for file storage, not databases.

Variation 6. A company is migrating its on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. They need to minimize downtime and ensure data consistency. Which AWS service should they use for the initial data load and ongoing replication?

easy
  • A.AWS Snowball Edge
  • ✓ B.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
  • C.AWS DataSync
  • D.AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT)

Why B: **Option A (AWS Snowball Edge):** Incorrect because Snowball Edge is designed for offline data transfer, not for ongoing replication with minimal downtime. It could be used for initial data load but does not support continuous replication. **Option B (AWS DMS):** Correct. AWS Database Migration Service can perform a full load of the source Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle and then continuously replicate changes using Change Data Capture (CDC) to minimize downtime and ensure consistency. **Option C (AWS DataSync):** Incorrect because DataSync is used for file-based data transfers (e.g., NFS/SMB shares), not for database replication. **Option D (AWS SCT):** Incorrect because the Schema Conversion Tool only converts database schemas and code; it does not handle data migration or replication.

Variation 7. A company is migrating an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. They want to minimize downtime and ensure data consistency. Which AWS service should be used for the migration?

easy
  • A.AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT)
  • ✓ B.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
  • C.AWS Server Migration Service (SMS)
  • D.AWS DataSync

Why B: AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) is designed for minimal-downtime database migrations. Option B is correct. Option A (SCT) is used for schema conversion, not the migration itself. Option C (Server Migration Service) is for server-level migrations. Option D (DataSync) is for file-based data transfer.

Variation 8. A company is migrating an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. They need to minimize downtime and ensure data consistency. Which AWS service should be used for the initial data load?

easy
  • ✓ A.AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS)
  • B.AWS Snowball Edge
  • C.AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT)
  • D.AWS DataSync

Why A: AWS DMS can perform a full load and then ongoing replication to keep the target in sync, minimizing downtime. AWS SCT helps with schema conversion but not data transfer. AWS DataSync is for file data, not databases. AWS Snowball is for large offline data transfer but not suitable for minimal downtime with replication.

JA

Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security

Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva

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.