Which AWS Service Moves 75 PB Most Cost-Effectively?

CLF-C02 By islever Editorial Last updated

Understand the benefits of and strategies for migration to the AWS Cloud. Identify AWS storage services.

Short answer

B AWS Snowmobile is designed to migrate up to 100 PB per job, making it the most cost-effective choice for 75 PB of on-premises data.

Question

A company needs to move 75 petabytes of data from its on-premises data centers to AWS. Which AWS service should the company use to meet these requirements MOST cost-effectively?
  1. AWS Snowball Edge Storage Optimized
  2. AWS Snowmobile Correct Answer
  3. AWS Direct Connect
  4. AWS Storage Gateway

Key Takeaways

The question tests matching petabyte-scale migration volume to the right AWS transfer service; the trap is choosing Snowball Edge or Direct Connect, which are not cost-effective at 75 PB.

This CLF-C02 question tests which AWS service is most cost-effective for migrating 75 petabytes of on-premises data to AWS. The verified answer is AWS Snowmobile, the exabyte-scale physical data transfer service built for massive one-time migrations.

Common mistake: Many learners choose AWS Snowball Edge Storage Optimized because it is a physical transfer device, but one Snowball Edge job handles far less than 75 PB, so many devices and more logistics would be required.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

AWS Snowmobile is purpose-built for exabyte-scale data migration, with each ruggedized shipping container able to move up to 100 PB per job. For 75 PB from on-premises data centers, a single Snowmobile job satisfies the volume and avoids the cost, time, and operational burden of network-based or appliance-based alternatives. The question's key phrase "MOST cost-effectively" aligns with Snowmobile because AWS positions it for very large transfers where multiple Snowball Edge devices or years of Direct Connect bandwidth would be more expensive. The community consensus also favors this option: BShelat and bindu991 both selected B and linked the official Snowmobile page, and alokdixit2006 described Snowmobile as "designed for moving massive amounts of data (up to 100PB)".

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

AWS Snowball Edge Storage Optimized is useful for edge computing and terabyte-to-low-petabyte transfers, but moving 75 PB would require many devices, increasing shipping, setup, and management costs. AWS Direct Connect provides a dedicated private network connection for ongoing hybrid workloads, not a one-time bulk migration of 75 PB; transferring that volume over a network link would take too long and cost more. AWS Storage Gateway is a hybrid storage service for ongoing file, volume, or tape access between on-premises systems and AWS, and it is not designed for exabyte-scale one-time migration. None of these options matches Snowmobile's single-job 100 PB capacity for the stated 75 PB requirement.

Community Comment Notes

BShelat and bindu991 both selected Snowmobile and pointed to the AWS Snowmobile page, which reinforces the intended service for exabyte-scale moves. alokdixit2006, although recorded on option A, noted that Snowmobile is "designed for moving massive amounts of data (up to 100PB)", which actually supports option B. The vote split of 75 for B versus 25 for A shows strong community preference for Snowmobile, and no commenter made a convincing case for Snowball Edge at 75 PB.

Official Reference

https://aws.amazon.com/snowmobile/

This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

For migration questions, first quantify the data volume and timeline: petabyte-scale one-time transfers usually point to a physical service, while ongoing hybrid connectivity points to Direct Connect or Storage Gateway. In CLF-C02, match "75 PB" directly to AWS Snowmobile and do not overthink Snowball Edge capacity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is AWS Snowball Edge Storage Optimized wrong for 75 PB?

Snowball Edge is designed for terabytes to low petabytes per device; moving 75 PB would require many devices, raising cost and logistics far above a single Snowmobile job.

Can AWS Direct Connect move 75 PB cost-effectively?

No. Direct Connect provides dedicated ongoing network connectivity, but transferring 75 PB over it would consume excessive time and cost compared with AWS Snowmobile.

More CLF-C02 FAQ →

Community Votes

B
75%
A
25%

75% of anonymous learners picked answer B. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 2 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 2

  1. alokdixit2006 👍 1 Answered A
    AWS Snowmobile is a data transfer service designed for moving massive amounts of data (up to 100PB) to AWS
  2. bindu991 👍 1 Answered B
    https://aws.amazon.com/snowmobile/

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