AWS Certified Database – Specialty — Question 69

A small startup company is looking to migrate a 4 TB on-premises MySQL database to AWS using an Amazon RDS for MySQL DB instance.
Which strategy would allow for a successful migration with the LEAST amount of downtime?

Answer options

• A. Deploy a new RDS for MySQL DB instance and configure it for access from the on-premises data center. Use the mysqldump utility to create an initial snapshot from the on-premises MySQL server, and copy it to an Amazon S3 bucket. Import the snapshot into the DB instance utilizing the MySQL utilities running on an Amazon EC2 instance. Immediately point the application to the DB instance.
• B. Deploy a new Amazon EC2 instance, install the MySQL software on the EC2 instance, and configure networking for access from the on-premises data center. Use the mysqldump utility to create a snapshot of the on-premises MySQL server. Copy the snapshot into the EC2 instance and restore it into the EC2 MySQL instance. Use AWS DMS to migrate data into a new RDS for MySQL DB instance. Point the application to the DB instance.
• C. Deploy a new Amazon EC2 instance, install the MySQL software on the EC2 instance, and configure networking for access from the on-premises data center. Use the mysqldump utility to create a snapshot of the on-premises MySQL server. Copy the snapshot into an Amazon S3 bucket and import the snapshot into a new RDS for MySQL DB instance using the MySQL utilities running on an EC2 instance. Point the application to the DB instance.
• D. Deploy a new RDS for MySQL DB instance and configure it for access from the on-premises data center. Use the mysqldump utility to create an initial snapshot from the on-premises MySQL server, and copy it to an Amazon S3 bucket. Import the snapshot into the DB instance using the MySQL utilities running on an Amazon EC2 instance. Establish replication into the new DB instance using MySQL replication. Stop application access to the on-premises MySQL server and let the remaining transactions replicate over. Point the application to the DB instance.

Correct answer: D

Explanation

Option D is the best strategy as it establishes replication to minimize downtime during the migration process, allowing for a smooth transition and capturing any changes made during the initial backup. The other options (A, B, and C) do not include replication, leading to potential data loss or increased downtime as they do not account for ongoing transactions after the initial snapshot.