AWS Certified Solutions Architect – ProfessionalDesign Solutions for Organizational ComplexityMedium
A global healthcare provider needs to migrate petabytes of patient medical imaging data (e.g., X-rays, MRIs) from an on-premises PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) to AWS. These images are large, require high throughput for ingestion, and must be accessible with low latency for diagnostic purposes by clinicians. Data governance policies mandate strict access controls and auditability. The company needs a highly scalable, durable, and cost-effective solution for this unstructured data. Which AWS solution should be recommended?
- AAmazon FSx for Lustre integrated with AWS DataSync
- BAmazon EFS with Lifecycle Management and AWS Direct Connect
- CAmazon S3 Standard with S3 Transfer Acceleration and S3 Object Lock
- DAmazon EBS Provisioned IOPS SSD volumes attached to Amazon EC2 instances
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Amazon S3 Standard with S3 Transfer Acceleration and S3 Object Lock
Amazon S3 Standard offers high durability, scalability, and low-latency access suitable for medical images. S3 Transfer Acceleration speeds up high-throughput ingestion over long distances. S3 Object Lock provides WORM (Write Once, Read Many) capability for data immutability, meeting data governance and auditability needs for healthcare data.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Amazon FSx for Lustre is a high-performance file system primarily for HPC workloads, not typically the most cost-effective or appropriate solution for general medical image archiving and retrieval, especially when considering petabyte scale and object-based access patterns.
- B. Amazon EFS is a file system, which is not ideal for petabyte-scale unstructured object storage. While Direct Connect helps with migration, EFS itself is not the best fit for storing vast amounts of medical imaging as objects with specific immutability requirements.
- D. Amazon EBS is block storage, not object storage, and would require managing file systems on EC2 instances, which is not scalable or cost-effective for petabytes of unstructured medical images.
S3 for Medical Imaging with Compliance
Utilizing Amazon S3 Standard with features like Transfer Acceleration and Object Lock to store, ingest, and manage petabytes of medical imaging data while meeting compliance requirements.
- S3 offers extreme durability, scalability, and low-latency access for unstructured data.
- S3 Transfer Acceleration speeds up data transfers over long distances.
- S3 Object Lock provides WORM (Write Once, Read Many) functionality for immutability and regulatory compliance (e.g., HIPAA, SEC Rule 17a-4).
Memory trick: S3 is the secure, scalable vault for medical images.