S3 Standard-IA for Infrequently Accessed Logs
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 stores items in tables with provisioned or on-demand throughput, not immutable objects; it cannot serve as an infrequent-access archive and on-demand capacity bills per request. It is tempting because it handles JSON natively, and it would be correct for low-latency key-value lookups rather than cost-effective infrequent retrieval.
- ✗
Amazon EBS with gp3 volume
Why it's wrong here
EBS gp3 provides block storage attached to a running EC2 instance, not an independent, durable object store, so it cannot hold immutable JSON retrievable within minutes without a host. It suits low-latency database or boot volumes, not infrequent archival retrieval.
- ✓
Amazon S3 with S3 Standard-IA storage class
Why this is correct
S3 Standard-IA suits infrequent access with millisecond retrieval, satisfying the minutes-based constraint. Its lower storage cost than S3 Standard meets the cost-effectiveness requirement, while object immutability is preserved through versioning and Object Lock. Unlike Glacier tiers, no retrieval job or restore delay is needed, keeping access immediate.
- ✗
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL with JSONB data type
Why it's wrong here
RDS for PostgreSQL stores JSONB in row-based tables, so immutable files still consume provisioned instance and storage cost continuously, and retrieval requires a running database rather than direct object access. It suits queryable, transactional JSON workloads needing indexing and joins, not infrequent archival retrieval.
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.