DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
A company stores log files in Amazon S3. They want to automatically move logs older than 90 days to S3 Glacier Deep Archive to reduce costs. Which S3 feature should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse S3 Intelligent-Tiering with lifecycle policies, but Intelligent-Tiering does not support age-based transitions to Glacier Deep Archive and is designed for unpredictable access patterns, not fixed retention schedules.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
S3 Lifecycle configuration
S3 Lifecycle configuration allows you to define rules that automatically transition objects to colder storage classes, such as S3 Glacier Deep Archive, based on age. By setting a rule to move objects older than 90 days to S3 Glacier Deep Archive, you reduce storage costs without manual intervention. This is the correct feature for automating tier-based data lifecycle management.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
S3 Intelligent-Tiering
Why it's wrong here
S3 Intelligent-Tiering moves objects between its own access tiers based on observed access patterns, and its archive tiers require explicit opt-in with a 90-day minimum, so a deterministic 90-day age rule is not honoured. It is tempting because it automates cost savings without lifecycle configuration, which suits unpredictable access.
- ✓
S3 Lifecycle configuration
Why this is correct
S3 Lifecycle configuration applies transition rules that automatically move objects to Glacier Deep Archive once they cross the specified age threshold, here 90 days. It satisfies the stem's requirement for automatic, age-based archival without custom code, and transitions are billed per request rather than requiring retrieval or manual intervention.
- ✗
S3 Replication
Why it's wrong here
S3 Replication copies objects to another bucket or Region; it cannot transition objects to Glacier Deep Archive, so the 90-day ageing rule is never satisfied. It is tempting because replication does move data across storage locations, which is correct when the requirement is cross-Region durability or latency rather than cost-driven tiering.
- ✗
S3 Object Lock
Why it's wrong here
S3 Object Lock enforces WORM retention and legal holds; it prevents deletion or overwrite for a fixed period and never transitions objects between storage classes. It is tempting because Object Lock also governs object lifecycle over time, which is correct when the requirement is regulatory immutability, not cost reduction.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DEA-C01 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DEA-C01 exam.