DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
A data engineer has set up an Amazon S3 lifecycle policy to transition objects to Glacier Instant Retrieval after 30 days. After 60 days, objects should transition to Deep Archive. However, objects are not transitioning to Deep Archive. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often overlook the 128 KB minimum object size for transitions to S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval, mistakenly attributing the failure to the 30-day interval rule.
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
✓
Objects are smaller than 128 KB.
Amazon S3 lifecycle policies have a minimum object size requirement for transitions to certain storage classes. Objects must be at least 128 KB to transition to S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval. Since the policy first transitions objects to Glacier Instant Retrieval after 30 days, objects smaller than 128 KB cannot undergo that transition, and subsequent transitions to Deep Archive will also fail. The 30-day minimum interval requirement is met (30 days between transitions), so option D is not the cause. Versioning (A) does not prevent transitions, and Deep Archive (B) is supported in all commercial AWS regions. Therefore, the most likely cause is that objects are smaller than 128 KB.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The bucket has versioning enabled.
Why it's wrong here
Versioning does not prevent lifecycle transitions. Objects of any version can still transition based on the policy.
- ✗
Deep Archive is not supported in the bucket's region.
Why it's wrong here
S3 Deep Archive is supported in all commercial AWS regions, so this is not the cause.
- ✓
Objects are smaller than 128 KB.
Why this is correct
Objects must be at least 128 KB to transition to S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval. If objects are smaller, the first transition fails, preventing subsequent transitions.
- ✗
The transition to Deep Archive requires a minimum of 30 days after the previous transition.
Why it's wrong here
AWS requires a minimum of 30 days between transitions. The policy transitions at 30 and 60 days, exactly 30 days apart, so this requirement is satisfied and is not the cause of failure.
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 |
Go deeper
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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