DMS Task Running but No Data Transfer
Network Topology
The exhibit shows the output of the describe-replication-tasks command for an ongoing migration from SAP HANA to Amazon RDS for MySQL. The task status is 'running' but no data has been transferred after 2 hours. What is the most likely cause?
Quick Answer
A DMS replication task that shows a running status but has moved zero data after a long period is a strong signal that the task never actually got past its connection or validation phase, rather than having started and then stalled midway. When the source endpoint isn't reachable from the replication instance, due to network, security group, or routing misconfiguration, DMS can repeatedly attempt to connect or validate without necessarily failing the task outright, which produces exactly this pattern: a status that still reads running alongside a complete absence of data movement. This is a useful distinction to draw against the other possible causes: insufficient memory on the replication instance would typically show up as degraded performance or partial progress with errors, not a total absence of any data transfer; a misconfigured target endpoint would generally cause the task to fail relatively quickly once it tries to write data, rather than sit indefinitely in a running state; and since HANA is the source system in this migration, not the target, an issue related to configuring HANA as a target wouldn't apply to this scenario at all. The general troubleshooting principle here is that when a migration or replication task claims to be active but shows no measurable progress over an extended period, the first thing to verify is basic connectivity and reachability to the source endpoint, since that's the step that has to succeed before any data can move.
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
✓
The source endpoint is not accessible from the replication instance
When the replication task status is 'running' but no data has been transferred after a significant period, it often indicates that the task is stuck in a preliminary validation phase. The most common reason is that the source endpoint is not accessible from the replication instance. The task may attempt to connect repeatedly without failing, hence the 'running' status. Insufficient memory (A) would typically cause performance degradation or errors, not a complete lack of transfer. A wrong target endpoint (C) would likely result in immediate task failure. Configuring HANA as a target (D) is irrelevant because HANA is the source in this migration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The replication instance has insufficient memory
Why it's wrong here
Insufficient memory would typically cause performance degradation or out-of-memory errors, not a complete lack of data transfer while the task appears running. Therefore, it is not the most likely cause.
- ✓
The source endpoint is not accessible from the replication instance
Why this is correct
If the source endpoint is not accessible from the replication instance, the task can appear as 'running' while it repeatedly tries to connect or validate the endpoint. This matches the symptom of no data transfer after 2 hours with a running status and is the most likely cause.
- ✗
The target endpoint is pointing to the wrong database
Why it's wrong here
If the target endpoint were pointing to the wrong database, the task would likely fail immediately or encounter errors during the initial connection phase, not remain in a running state with no data transfer. Thus, it is less likely.
- ✗
The HANA database is not configured as a target
Why it's wrong here
The HANA database is the source, not the target. The migration is from HANA to MySQL, so HANA is correctly configured as the source. A misconfiguration as a target would be irrelevant, and the task would fail if the source endpoint were incorrectly set. Therefore, this is incorrect.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way 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. The exhibit shows the output of the describe-replication-tasks command. The task status is 'failed'. Which action should be taken to troubleshoot the failure?
medium- A.Restart the replication task with a different migration type.
- B.Modify the table mappings to exclude all tables.
- C.Create a new replication task with the same settings.
- ✓ D.Review the CloudWatch logs for the replication instance and task.
Why D: The first step is to check the CloudWatch logs for DMS to find detailed error messages. Option A is wrong because restarting without investigation may lead to the same error. Option B is wrong because modifying table mappings may not be the issue. Option C is wrong because creating a new task without understanding the failure is inefficient.
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.