CLF-C02 - Cloud Concepts (24% of the exam) - Section 1.4

Understand the benefits of and strategies for migrating to the AWS Cloud, including database replication and the AWS Snow Family for bulk data transfer.

Understand common cloud migration strategies and when each applies, including the role of database replication for live cutovers with minimal downtime. Recognise the AWS Snow Family, particularly AWS Snowball, as the appropriate mechanism for bulk offline data transfer when network bandwidth is insufficient.

Migration strategiesDatabase replicationAWS SnowballData transfer

Practice question for this objective

Free sampleCloud Conceptsmedium

A company must move 80 TB of archived data from its on-premises data centre to Amazon S3, but its internet link is slow and a transfer over the network would take many weeks. Which AWS service is designed to move this bulk data into AWS without relying on that link?

  • AAmazon S3 Transfer Acceleration, which speeds uploads over the public internet
  • BAWS Snowball, a physical device shipped to the site to load data and return Correct
  • CAWS Direct Connect, a dedicated private circuit running into an AWS Region
  • DAmazon CloudFront, a content delivery network that caches files near users
The AWS Snow Family ships physical devices to move bulk data into AWS when the network link is too slow. When a dataset is so large that a network transfer would take weeks, a Snow Family device is shipped to the site, loaded locally and returned to AWS, so the data import never has to cross the constrained internet connection.

Why A is wrong: Transfer Acceleration uses optimised network paths but still depends on the internet link, so it cannot rescue a transfer that the bandwidth itself makes too slow.

Why B is correct: AWS Snowball ships a rugged physical device to the customer site, so a large dataset is loaded locally and posted back, bypassing the slow internet link entirely.

Why C is wrong: Direct Connect gives a private link but takes weeks to provision and is built for ongoing traffic, not a one-off bulk move when the existing link is the problem.

Why D is wrong: CloudFront distributes content out to viewers at edge locations, so it has no role in importing a large dataset from a data centre into AWS.

See more CLF-C02 practice questions, answers explained.

Exam traps in Cloud Concepts

Answers that look right on this material and are not. Each one is a distractor from a different question in the CLF-C02 bank for this domain.

  • AWS Direct Connect, a dedicated private network circuit into a Region

    Why it is wrong: Direct Connect is a network link rather than a Snow Family device, and at this scale over limited connectivity it would still be impractical for the bulk move.

  • The data must be queried in real time as it arrives, so a streaming pipeline is required to load each record instantly.

    Why it is wrong: Real-time streaming suits Amazon Kinesis, not bulk transfer, and Snowball is an offline shipment, so this need argues against Snowball.

  • Amazon Kinesis Data Streams, used to ingest high-volume real-time event records

    Why it is wrong: Kinesis ingests streaming event data such as clickstreams, so it is not designed to copy and replicate an existing relational database during a move.

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