DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
A data engineer needs to store semi-structured JSON logs from AWS CloudTrail. The logs are append-only and rarely accessed after 90 days. Which storage solution is MOST cost-effective?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often choose S3 Standard or DynamoDB because they assume CloudTrail logs need frequent querying, but the question explicitly states 'rarely accessed after 90 days,' making Glacier Deep Archive the correct cost-optimal choice despite its longer retrieval time.
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 Deep Archive
Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive is the most cost-effective storage solution for CloudTrail logs that are append-only and rarely accessed after 90 days. It offers the lowest storage cost among AWS options (approximately $0.00099 per GB/month) and is designed for data that is accessed at most once or twice per year, with retrieval times of 12–48 hours. Since the logs are rarely accessed after 90 days, the retrieval latency is acceptable, and the cost savings over S3 Standard (which costs ~$0.023 per GB/month) are substantial.
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 this is correct
Glacier Deep Archive offers the lowest cost for long-term archival data.
- ✗
Amazon S3 Standard
Why it's wrong here
S3 Standard is more expensive for data that is rarely accessed after 90 days.
- ✗
Amazon EBS with cold HDD volumes
Why it's wrong here
EBS is not designed for log storage and is more expensive than S3.
- ✗
Amazon DynamoDB with on-demand capacity
Why it's wrong here
DynamoDB is not cost-effective for large volumes of rarely accessed log 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 |
Go deeper
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on DEA-C01
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A data engineer needs to store semi-structured JSON transaction logs for analytics. The logs are written once and rarely accessed. The storage must be cost-effective. Which AWS service should be used?
easy- ✓ A.Amazon S3
- B.Amazon DynamoDB
- C.Amazon RDS
- D.Amazon Redshift
Why A: Amazon S3 is the correct choice because it provides highly durable, cost-effective object storage ideal for semi-structured JSON transaction logs that are written once and rarely accessed. S3's lifecycle policies can automatically transition such infrequently accessed data to S3 Glacier or S3 Glacier Deep Archive for even lower storage costs, making it the most economical option for this use case.
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.