The correct approach is to use S3 Storage Lens to generate a dashboard of object age and last access, as this provides cost-effective analytics for identifying objects not accessed for 90 days without impacting performance. S3 Storage Lens offers built-in metrics like LastAccessDate and ObjectAge, allowing you to filter for objects that haven’t been accessed in the desired timeframe, all while operating as a lightweight, serverless feature that avoids the overhead of scanning every object. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this question tests your ability to choose the most efficient monitoring tool for S3 data lakes, with a common trap being to select S3 Inventory (which requires costly Athena queries) or Server Access Logs (which generate massive, expensive log files). Remember that Storage Lens is purpose-built for high-level storage analytics and cost optimization, not for deep object-level scanning. Memory tip: think “Lens for the big picture, Inventory for the fine print.”
DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data operations and support. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company has an S3 data lake with millions of objects. A data engineer needs to provide a daily report of objects that are not accessed for 90 days. The engineer must minimize cost and impact on performance. Which approach should be used?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use S3 Storage Lens to generate a dashboard of object age and last access
Option C is correct because S3 Storage Lens provides cost-effective analytics including last access date. Option A is wrong because S3 Inventory creates daily lists but requires Athena queries and is more complex. Option B is wrong because S3 Server Access Logs can be large and costly to query. Option D is wrong because S3 Select is for querying objects' content, not metadata.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Enable S3 Inventory and query with Athena
Why it's wrong here
Inventory is useful but incurs additional cost and complexity.
✗
Use S3 Select on each object to check last access metadata
Why it's wrong here
S3 Select cannot retrieve object metadata.
✗
Analyze S3 server access logs to find objects not accessed
Why it's wrong here
Server logs are verbose and costly to analyze.
✓
Use S3 Storage Lens to generate a dashboard of object age and last access
Why this is correct
Storage Lens provides built-in metrics at low cost.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Data Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use S3 Storage Lens to generate a dashboard of object age and last access — Option C is correct because S3 Storage Lens provides cost-effective analytics including last access date. Option A is wrong because S3 Inventory creates daily lists but requires Athena queries and is more complex. Option B is wrong because S3 Server Access Logs can be large and costly to query. Option D is wrong because S3 Select is for querying objects' content, not metadata.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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