Question 315 of 1,711
DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
A data engineer needs to store semi-structured JSON files that are accessed infrequently but must be retrievable within minutes. The data is immutable and must be stored cost-effectively. Which AWS service should the engineer use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse 'infrequently accessed' with 'archival' and choose Glacier or Deep Archive, but the requirement for retrieval within minutes eliminates those options, while DynamoDB or RDS seem plausible for JSON but are not cost-effective for immutable, infrequently accessed data.
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 with S3 Standard-IA storage class
Amazon S3 Standard-IA (Infrequent Access) is designed for data that is accessed less frequently but requires rapid retrieval when needed, with retrieval times in milliseconds. It offers lower storage costs than S3 Standard while maintaining high durability and availability, making it ideal for storing immutable semi-structured JSON files that must be retrievable within minutes. The service is cost-effective for infrequently accessed data because it charges a retrieval fee per GB, but the storage price is significantly lower than standard tiers.
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 DynamoDB with on-demand capacity
Why it's wrong here
DynamoDB is a NoSQL database for structured data with low-latency access, not cost-effective for infrequent access of JSON blobs.
- ✗
Amazon EBS with gp3 volume
Why it's wrong here
EBS provides block storage for EC2 instances, not suitable for direct JSON storage and retrieval by applications.
- ✓
Amazon S3 with S3 Standard-IA storage class
Why this is correct
S3 is designed for object storage, supports JSON, and Standard-IA is cost-effective for infrequent access with millisecond retrieval.
- ✗
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL with JSONB data type
Why it's wrong here
RDS is a relational database, more expensive and complex for simple immutable JSON storage.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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