AWS Certified Data Engineer – AssociateData Governance and SecurityEasy

A data analytics company needs to archive historical log data for compliance purposes. The data is rarely accessed (less than once a year), but when needed, a retrieval time of 12-48 hours is acceptable. The primary concern is minimizing storage costs while ensuring data durability and compliance with a 10-year retention policy. Which Amazon S3 storage class is the most cost-effective solution for this scenario?

  1. AS3 One Zone-IA
  2. BS3 Standard-IA
  3. CS3 Glacier
  4. DS3 Glacier Deep Archive
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D. S3 Glacier Deep Archive

S3 Glacier Deep Archive is designed for long-term archiving of data that is accessed rarely (e.g., once or twice a year) and can tolerate retrieval times of 12-48 hours. It is the lowest-cost S3 storage class, making it ideal for the specified compliance and cost requirements.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. S3 One Zone-IA stores data in a single Availability Zone, offering lower cost than Standard-IA but sacrificing availability, and it's still more expensive than Glacier classes for archival data.
  • B. S3 Standard-IA is for data accessed less frequently but requiring rapid access, making it more expensive than Glacier classes.
  • C. S3 Glacier is for archival data with retrieval times from minutes to hours, but S3 Glacier Deep Archive is even more cost-effective for extremely rare access.

S3 Glacier Deep Archive

S3 Glacier Deep Archive is Amazon S3's lowest-cost storage class for archiving data that is rarely accessed, with retrieval times ranging from 12 to 48 hours. It is designed for long-term data retention and compliance archival.

  • Lowest-cost S3 storage class.
  • Designed for long-term archival (e.g., 7-10+ years).
  • Retrieval times are typically 12-48 hours.

Memory trick: Deep Archive: Dirt Cheap, Deep Sleep.

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