AWS Certified Security – SpecialtyDomain 5: Data ProtectionMedium
A global media company stores vast amounts of video content (terabytes) in Amazon S3. This content is frequently accessed by customers for streaming, requiring low-latency access. However, after 30 days, the content's access frequency significantly drops, becoming rarely accessed but still needing to be available within minutes if requested. The company wants to optimize storage costs while maintaining accessibility. Which S3 storage class transition strategy should be implemented?
- ATransition objects from S3 Standard to S3 Standard-Infrequent Access (S3 Standard-IA) after 30 days.
- BTransition objects from S3 Standard to S3 Glacier Deep Archive after 30 days.
- CTransition objects from S3 Standard to S3 Intelligent-Tiering and let S3 manage the transitions.
- DTransition objects from S3 Standard to S3 One Zone-Infrequent Access (S3 One Zone-IA) after 30 days.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Transition objects from S3 Standard to S3 Standard-Infrequent Access (S3 Standard-IA) after 30 days.
S3 Standard-IA is designed for data that is accessed less frequently but requires rapid access when needed. Transitioning from S3 Standard after 30 days aligns with the usage pattern and cost optimization goals.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. S3 Glacier Deep Archive is for archival data that can tolerate retrieval times of hours, not minutes, and is too aggressive for data that still needs to be available within minutes.
- C. S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically moves data between access tiers based on changing access patterns, but for a predictable access pattern like this (frequent for 30 days, then infrequent), a lifecycle policy to Standard-IA is more cost-effective and direct.
- D. S3 One Zone-IA stores data in a single Availability Zone, offering lower cost but less resilience than S3 Standard-IA, which might not be suitable for critical media content.
S3 Standard-IA for Infrequent Access
Amazon S3 Standard-Infrequent Access (S3 Standard-IA) is an S3 storage class optimized for data that is accessed less frequently but requires rapid access when needed, offering lower storage costs compared to S3 Standard.
- Ideal for long-lived, infrequently accessed data.
- Offers millisecond retrieval times.
- Has a minimum storage duration of 30 days and a retrieval fee per GB.
Memory trick: Standard-IA is the Smart Switch for Seldom-Seen Stuff.