Google Cloud Digital LeaderGeneral knowledge of Google CloudMedium
A media company wants to store petabytes of video archives that are rarely accessed but must be retained for compliance reasons and occasionally retrieved for re-editing. Cost-effectiveness for storage is a primary concern, and retrieval latency of a few seconds or minutes is acceptable. Which Google Cloud Storage class is the most appropriate for this use case?
- AColdline Storage
- BNearline Storage
- CArchive Storage
- DStandard Storage
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Archive Storage
Archive Storage is designed for very long-term data archiving with infrequent access (less than once a year). It offers the lowest storage cost, and retrieval latency of minutes is acceptable for archived video. This fits the scenario of 'rarely accessed' and 'retained for compliance'.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Coldline Storage is for data accessed less than once a quarter, with lower cost than Nearline but higher than Archive.
- B. Nearline Storage is for data accessed less than once a month, with slightly higher cost than Coldline/Archive.
- D. Standard Storage is for frequently accessed data and would be too expensive for archives.
Google Cloud Storage Classes
Google Cloud Storage offers various classes (Standard, Nearline, Coldline, Archive) optimized for different access frequencies and costs.
- Standard: Frequent access, highest cost.
- Nearline: Less than once a month access.
- Coldline: Less than once a quarter access.
- Archive: Less than once a year access, lowest cost, highest retrieval latency/cost.
Memory trick: Storage Tiers: Standard for Hot, Nearline for Warm, Coldline for Cool, Archive for Frozen.