Migration and transfer services: choosing the right one
What each of the five SAA-C03 migration and transfer services does, how to choose between moving servers, databases, files, and offline data, the current status of the Snow Family, and how to go from the clues in a question to the right service.
3 min read · Last reviewed · SAA-C03
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The services at a glance
The Migration and Transfer category of the exam covers five services. The question is usually what you are moving (servers, databases, files, or bulk data) and how (over the network, continuously, or physically). Each service name links to its own tutorial.
| Service | Moves | How |
|---|---|---|
| AWS Application Migration Service (now AWS Transform MGN) | Whole servers: physical, virtual, or in other clouds | Continuous block-level replication, then test and cut over in minutes (rehost, "lift and shift") |
| AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) | Databases and Data warehouseA database designed for analytics, holding cleaned, structured data from many sources, so that reports and queries across years of history run fast. Amazon Redshift is the AWS data warehouse.Glossary entry | Full load plus ongoing CDC (Change data capture)Capturing each insert, update, and delete in a source database as it happens, so that another system can be kept in step. AWS DMS uses CDC to keep replicating changes after the initial full load.Glossary entry (CDC), with schema conversion between engines |
| AWS DataSync | Files and objects: NFS (Network File System)A protocol for sharing files over a network, used mostly by Linux and Unix systems. Amazon EFS, Amazon FSx for OpenZFS, and Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP provide NFS file systems.Glossary entry, SMB (Server Message Block)The file-sharing protocol used by Windows. Amazon FSx for Windows File Server and Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP provide SMB shares, and Amazon S3 File Gateway can present S3 buckets as SMB shares.Glossary entry, HDFS, object storage, other clouds | Online transfer into and between S3, EFS, and FSx, with scheduling and verification |
| AWS Transfer Family | Files from partners and users | Managed SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol)A protocol for transferring files over an SSH connection, which encrypts both commands and data. AWS Transfer Family provides managed SFTP servers that store files in Amazon S3 or Amazon EFS.Glossary entry, FTPS, FTP, AS2, and web apps into S3 or EFS |
| AWS Snow Family | Large amounts of data offline, and edge computing | Ruggedized devices shipped to and from AWS. Closed to new customers; support ends December 31, 2026 |
Three choices to make
- Servers, databases, or files?
- Servers go to Application Migration Service.
- Databases go to DMS, plus schema conversion when the engine changes.
- Files go to DataSync, or Transfer Family when external parties use SFTP or FTP.
- One-time or ongoing? DataSync runs on schedules for recurring transfers, and DMS keeps databases in sync with CDC until cutover. Transfer Family serves ongoing partner uploads.
- Network or offline?
- With enough bandwidth, transfer online with DataSync (over Direct Connect or VPN (Virtual private network)An encrypted tunnel over a public network, such as the internet, that joins networks or devices as if they were directly connected. AWS Site-to-Site VPN connects networks; AWS Client VPN connects individual users.Glossary entry for privacy and speed).
- Exam questions about petabytes over a slow link point to the Snow Family. Today AWS points new customers to DataSync, AWS Data Transfer Terminal (physical sites where you bring your own devices), or partner solutions.
Reverse mindmap: from the question to the service
- Servers
- Lift and shift servers with minimal downtime leads to Application Migration Service
- Migrate VMware or physical servers to EC2 leads to Application Migration Service
- Databases
- Migrate a database with the source still running leads to DMS with CDC
- Oracle to Aurora PostgreSQL leads to DMS Schema Conversion, then DMS
- Files and objects
- NFS or SMB shares to S3, EFS, or FSx leads to DataSync
- Scheduled recurring copies with verification leads to DataSync
- Partners upload over SFTP into S3 leads to Transfer Family
- Business-to-business AS2 messages leads to Transfer Family AS2
- Offline and edge
- Petabytes with little bandwidth leads to Snow Family on the exam
- Disconnected edge computing leads to Snowball Edge on the exam, Outposts today
Commonly confused pairs
| If the choice is between | Choose the first when | Choose the second when |
|---|---|---|
| DataSync or Transfer Family | You move data from your own storage systems | External users or partners send files over SFTP, FTPS, FTP, or AS2 |
| DataSync or Snow Family | The network can move the data in time | The data is too large for the network (exam scenario) |
| Application Migration Service or DMS | You move whole servers as they are | You move a database, possibly to a new engine |
| DMS or DataSync | Database tables and ongoing changes | Files and objects |
Key takeaways
- Servers go to Application Migration Service, databases go to DMS, files go to DataSync, partner file transfers go to Transfer Family, and offline bulk data goes to Snow Family.
- Application Migration Service is now called AWS Transform MGN.
- Snow Family devices are closed to new customers, and support ends on December 31, 2026; AWS recommends DataSync, Data Transfer Terminal, or partners.
Sources
- AWS Certification: SAA-C03 in-scope AWS services
- AWS Transform MGN User Guide: What is AWS Transform MGN?
- AWS DMS User Guide: What is AWS Database Migration Service?
- AWS DataSync User Guide: What is AWS DataSync?
- AWS Transfer Family User Guide: What is AWS Transfer Family?
- AWS Snowball Edge Developer Guide: AWS Snowball Edge availability change
- AWS Snowball
- AWS Data Transfer Terminal User Guide: What is Data Transfer Terminal?