Professional Cloud ArchitectManage and provision solution infrastructureEasy
A global media company needs to store petabytes of video archive data that is rarely accessed (less than once a year) but must be retained for regulatory compliance for decades. When access is required, retrieval latency of a few minutes is acceptable. The company wants to minimize storage costs. Which Cloud Storage class should they choose?
- AColdline storage
- BStandard storage
- CArchive storage
- DNearline storage
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Archive storage
Archive storage is designed for long-term digital archiving, backup, and disaster recovery. It offers the lowest storage costs but has higher retrieval costs and a minimum storage duration of 365 days, with retrieval latency typically in minutes. This aligns perfectly with the requirements for rarely accessed, long-term archival video data.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Coldline storage is for data accessed less than once a quarter. It's more cost-effective than Nearline but still not optimized for data accessed less than once a year.
- B. Standard storage is for frequently accessed data and has the highest storage cost, which does not meet the requirement to minimize costs for rarely accessed data.
- D. Nearline storage is for data accessed less than once a month. While cheaper than Standard, it's not the most cost-effective for data accessed less than once a year.
Cloud Storage Archive Class
Cloud Storage Archive class is the lowest-cost storage class designed for long-term digital archiving, backup, and disaster recovery. It is optimized for data that is accessed less than once a year, with retrieval latency typically in minutes.
- Lowest storage cost
- Highest retrieval cost (per GB)
- Minimum storage duration of 365 days
- Retrieval latency in minutes
- Ideal for regulatory compliance, long-term archives
Memory trick: Archive if you access it almost never, but keep it forever.