CompTIA Cloud+ (CV0-004)OperationsMedium
A cloud administrator receives an alert indicating that a critical database server is running low on disk space. Upon investigation, it's discovered that detailed audit logs, which are configured to never expire, are consuming the majority of the storage. These logs are legally required to be retained for seven years but are not frequently accessed after the first 90 days. Which optimization strategy should the administrator implement to address the immediate disk space issue while meeting compliance requirements?
- ADisable audit logging to reduce future disk consumption.
- BDelete all audit logs older than 90 days.
- CImplement a log archival policy to move older logs to cheaper, long-term object storage.
- DIncrease the disk size of the database server.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Implement a log archival policy to move older logs to cheaper, long-term object storage.
Implementing a log archival policy allows older, less frequently accessed logs to be moved from expensive, high-performance database storage to cheaper, long-term object storage. This frees up immediate disk space on the database server while ensuring compliance with the seven-year retention requirement.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Disabling audit logging would violate compliance requirements and severely impact security posture.
- B. Deleting logs older than 90 days violates the legal requirement for seven-year retention.
- D. Increasing disk size is a temporary fix and does not address the underlying issue of unbounded log growth and cost inefficiency.
Cloud Storage Tiers
Different classes of cloud storage services optimized for cost, performance, and access frequency.
- Hot/Standard storage for frequently accessed data.
- Cool/Infrequent Access storage for less frequent access.
- Archive storage for long-term retention, rarely accessed.
Memory trick: Store smart: Hot is 'Now', Cold is 'Later', Archive is 'Forever'.