DEA-C01 S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval Practice Question
A data engineer needs to store semi-structured JSON data that is accessed infrequently but must be retrievable within 5 minutes. The data is immutable once stored. Which storage solution is MOST cost-effective?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is that candidates may assume 'infrequently accessed' maps to 'archival' and choose Glacier Deep Archive, or they may focus on the single-AZ cost savings of One Zone-IA without comparing it to Glacier Instant Retrieval, missing the even lower storage cost of the latter.
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
✓
Amazon S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval
Amazon S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval is the most cost-effective choice for long-term archival of infrequently accessed, immutable data with a 5-minute retrieval requirement. It offers a storage cost of $0.004/GB/month, significantly lower than One Zone-IA at $0.01/GB/month, and retrieval times of milliseconds to minutes, easily meeting the 5-minute requirement. One Zone-IA is cheaper than S3 Standard but more expensive than Glacier Instant Retrieval, and its single-AZ design introduces availability risk. Glacier Deep Archive has a higher retrieval cost and typically takes hours, exceeding the 5-minute requirement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive
Why it's wrong here
S3 Glacier Deep Archive: Incorrect. While very low storage cost, retrieval times typically take hours, exceeding the 5-minute requirement.
- ✗
Amazon S3 Standard
Why it's wrong here
S3 Standard: Incorrect. High storage cost for data that is infrequently accessed; not cost-effective.
- ✗
Amazon S3 One Zone-IA
Why it's wrong here
S3 One Zone-IA: Incorrect. Although cost-effective for infrequent access, its storage cost ($0.01/GB/month) is higher than Glacier Instant Retrieval ($0.004/GB/month), and it introduces single-AZ risk.
- ✓
Amazon S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval
Why this is correct
S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval: Correct. Lowest storage cost among options that meet the 5-minute retrieval requirement, ideal for long-term archival of infrequently accessed, immutable data.
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.