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A research institution needs to store vast amounts of experimental data, including sensor readings, imaging files, and simulation outputs. This data is critical for long-term studies but is accessed very rarely after initial processing, perhaps once every few years for auditing or new research. The primary concern is minimizing storage costs while ensuring data durability and integrity for decades. What Google Cloud Storage class should they use?
- AColdline storage
- BNearline storage
- CStandard storage
- DArchive storage
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Archive storage
Archive storage is specifically designed for long-term data archiving with extremely low storage costs, accepting retrieval times in hours, which is suitable for data accessed very rarely (less than once a year) over decades.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Coldline storage is for data accessed less than once a quarter, offering minutes retrieval, but Archive is even more cost-effective for multi-year access patterns.
- B. Nearline storage is for data accessed less than once a month, still too frequent and costly for data accessed once every few years.
- C. Standard storage is for frequently accessed data and would be prohibitively expensive for long-term, rarely accessed archives.
Google Cloud Archive Storage
The lowest-cost storage class in Google Cloud Storage, designed for long-term digital preservation and disaster recovery, with retrieval times typically measured in hours.
- Lowest storage cost per GB
- Suitable for data accessed less than once a year
- Retrieval latency typically in hours
- Minimum storage duration of 365 days
Memory trick: Archive: Your digital time capsule, opened rarely, stored cheaply.