Least-Effort Near Real-Time MySQL to Redshift Integration
A retail company stores data from a product lifecycle management (PLM) application in an on-premises MySQL database. The PLM application frequently updates the database when transactions occur. The company wants to gather insights from the PLM application in near real time. The company wants to integrate the insights with other business datasets and to analyze the combined dataset by using an Amazon Redshift data warehouse. The company has already established an AWS Direct Connect connection between the on-premises infrastructure and AWS. Which solution will meet these requirements with the LEAST development effort?
Community Votes
100% of anonymous learners picked answer B. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Community Insight
It tests which AWS service natively performs continuous MySQL-to-Redshift CDC without custom code; the trap is choosing scheduled Glue ETL jobs, a custom AppFlow SDK connector, or DataSync, none of which deliver native low-effort CDC replication into Redshift.
This question tests how to move frequently changing on-premises MySQL data into Amazon Redshift in near real time with the least development effort. AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) full load plus change data capture (CDC) is the managed replication solution that meets both the continuous-change and Redshift-destination requirements.
Many candidates pick the scheduled AWS Glue JDBC ETL job (A) because Glue integrates with Redshift, but a scheduled extract is not near real-time and requires ETL development, while AWS DMS provides continuous CDC with far less effort.
Community Discussion (4 comments)
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
AWS DMS is purpose-built for this scenario: a MySQL source on premises, an Amazon Redshift target, and a requirement for near real-time updates. A full load plus CDC task performs the initial copy and then continuously applies ongoing MySQL changes to Redshift, so the PLM insights stay current and can be joined with other business datasets. The existing AWS Direct Connect link provides the private network path, so no additional connectivity design is needed. Because DMS handles the replication mechanics and Redshift target loading, development effort is minimized compared with writing ETL code. The community consensus agrees, with andrologin noting that "AWS DMS allows for change data capture that will have the destination updated at near real time with changes from the source database," and Fredrik1 saying B "Makes most sense."
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A uses AWS Glue with a JDBC connection on a schedule, which is batch-oriented rather than near real-time and requires you to author and maintain the ETL job logic — more development effort, not least. Option C requires building a custom Amazon AppFlow SDK connector for MySQL, which is explicitly custom development and unnecessary when DMS already supports MySQL-to-Redshift CDC. Option D uses AWS DataSync, which is designed for file and object data movement, not transactional database change replication, and it cannot set Amazon Redshift as a database replication target in the way this question requires. Each alternative either fails the near real-time requirement or increases the development burden.
Community Comment Notes
Bmaster endorses the DMS CDC approach and points to an AWS blog about change data capture from an on-premises source to an Amazon Redshift target. andrologin highlights the near real-time destination updates that CDC provides, which is exactly the PLM requirement. Chelseajcole summarizes that DMS supports continuous replication with CDC and reduces setup effort, especially given the existing Direct Connect connection. Fredrik1 simply states that B "Makes most sense," reinforcing the practical consensus around DMS for this pattern.
Official Reference
Exam Strategy
When a question says 'least development effort' and 'near real time' for database replication, look for a managed AWS DMS task with CDC rather than scheduled ETL, custom connectors, or file-sync tools. Verify that both the source engine and the Amazon Redshift destination are natively supported by the service named in the option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is a scheduled AWS Glue JDBC ETL job not the least-effort near real-time choice?
A scheduled Glue job runs in batches, so it cannot continuously capture PLM transaction changes in near real time, and it requires writing and maintaining ETL logic, which is more development effort than an AWS DMS CDC task.
Does AWS DMS support Amazon Redshift as a CDC target from MySQL?
Yes. AWS DMS supports MySQL as a source and Amazon Redshift as a target, and a full load plus CDC task can apply ongoing changes to Redshift continuously.
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