AWS Certified Security – SpecialtyDomain 5: Data ProtectionEasy
A research institution stores petabytes of genomic data in Amazon S3. This data is rarely accessed (less than once a year) but must be retained for decades due to scientific and regulatory requirements. When access is needed, retrieval times of several hours are acceptable, but cost minimization is a critical factor. Which S3 storage class is the most appropriate for this use case?
- AAmazon S3 Standard-Infrequent Access (S3 Standard-IA)
- BAmazon S3 One Zone-Infrequent Access (S3 One Zone-IA)
- CAmazon S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval
- DAmazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive
Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive is designed for long-term archival and is the lowest-cost storage class for data that is accessed rarely (e.g., once or twice a year). It offers retrieval times of several hours, which is acceptable for the given scenario, and is ideal for data retained for decades, making it the most cost-effective solution.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. S3 Standard-IA is for data accessed less frequently but still requires rapid access (milliseconds). Its cost structure is higher than Glacier Deep Archive for very infrequent access and long-term retention.
- B. S3 One Zone-IA is similar to S3 Standard-IA but stores data in a single Availability Zone, offering lower cost but less durability and availability. It's not designed for the lowest cost with decades-long, ultra-infrequent access archives.
- C. S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval is suitable for archives where retrieval times of minutes to hours are acceptable. While it's a good archival option, Glacier Deep Archive is even more cost-effective for data accessed once or twice a year over decades.
Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive
Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive is the lowest-cost Amazon S3 storage class for long-term data archiving, designed for data that is accessed rarely (once or twice a year) with retrieval times of several hours.
- Lowest cost storage class in S3
- Designed for data accessed once or twice a year
- Retrieval times typically 12-48 hours (standard retrieval)
- Ideal for long-term retention (decades) and regulatory compliance archiving
Memory trick: Deep Archive: Decades, Dirt Cheap, Delayed.