AZ-305 Question 219
Select 2Your company has 150 TB of critical unstructured data stored on multiple on-premises file servers. You need to migrate this data to Azure within two weeks and ensure that subsequent, incremental changes on-premises remain in sync with Azure. The solution must minimize transfer over public internet and provide a secure, scalable method for the initial migration and ongoing synchronization. Which two approaches should you implement?
- A
Use an Azure Data Box device for the initial bulk transfer and then configure Azure File Sync for ongoing synchronization to an Azure file share
- B
Use Azure Database Migration Service to transfer the unstructured file data as part of a database migration project
- C
Use AzCopy over a standard internet connection to transfer the entire data set in one pass, then schedule recurring AzCopy jobs
- D
Implement an ExpressRoute private peering connection and replicate data directly into Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2
- E
Use Azure Data Box Gateway to upload data and Azure File Sync for continuous replication from existing file servers
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, E
Explanation
For large, unstructured file data, a common approach is to use a secure offline transfer method to handle the initial bulk migration, such as Azure Data Box or Azure Data Box Gateway, and then configure Azure File Sync to replicate incremental changes from on-premises to Azure. This strategy is outlined in Microsoft documentation for migrating on-premises file shares to Azure (https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/storage/files/storage-files-migration-overview). Options like Azure Database Migration Service are intended for structured databases, not unstructured files.
- A. Correct.
Option 1 is correct. Azure Data Box provides a secure, offline method to perform the initial bulk migration of large volumes of data without saturating your network or exposing data to public internet transfer. After completing the offline ingest, Azure File Sync can be set up to synchronize ongoing changes from on-premises file servers to an Azure file share, ensuring the environment remains up to date.
- B. Incorrect.
Option 2 is incorrect. Azure Database Migration Service is designed primarily for structured data migrations (e.g., SQL, PostgreSQL), not for bulk unstructured file data. Using it for unstructured data is neither optimal nor supported for large-scale file transfers.
- C. Incorrect.
Option 3 is incorrect. While AzCopy can transfer data over the public internet, it is neither the most secure nor the fastest approach for 150 TB. Also, setting up recurring AzCopy jobs for incremental synchronization would be cumbersome compared to a managed service like Azure File Sync.
- D. Incorrect.
Option 4 is incorrect. Although ExpressRoute can provide a private connection, simply replicating unstructured data directly to data lake storage requires additional orchestration, and does not inherently include a mechanism for ongoing sync of file server changes. It also may not help with an initial bulk transfer deadline unless the bandwidth is very high.
- E. Correct.
Option 5 is correct. Azure Data Box Gateway is a network appliance that can help securely transfer data to Azure for large-scale migrations. Combined with Azure File Sync, ongoing file server changes can be continuously replicated, ensuring minimal downtime and efficient data management.