This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
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?
Amazon S3
S3 is cost-effective for infrequently accessed semi-structured data.
Amazon DynamoDB
Why wrong: DynamoDB is optimized for real-time access, not archival storage.
Amazon RDS
Why wrong: RDS is for relational data, not semi-structured.
Amazon Redshift
Why wrong: Redshift is for analytics on structured data, not cost-effective for logs.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon S3
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.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Amazon S3
Why this is correct
S3 is cost-effective for infrequently accessed semi-structured data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon DynamoDB
Why it's wrong here
DynamoDB is optimized for real-time access, not archival storage.
Amazon RDS
Why it's wrong here
RDS is for relational data, not semi-structured.
Amazon Redshift
Why it's wrong here
Redshift is for analytics on structured data, not cost-effective for logs.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may choose DynamoDB or Redshift because they support JSON natively, but they overlook the core requirement of cost-effective storage for rarely accessed data, which is best met by S3's low-cost object storage and lifecycle management features.
Detailed technical explanation
S3 stores objects as key-value pairs in buckets, with each object identified by a unique key and capable of holding up to 5 TB of data. For rarely accessed logs, S3 Intelligent-Tiering can automatically move objects between access tiers (frequent, infrequent, and archive instant) based on changing access patterns, while S3 Lifecycle policies allow direct transition to S3 Glacier Deep Archive (costing ~$0.00099/GB/month) after a specified period. This makes S3 ideal for write-once, read-rarely workloads like transaction logs, where the primary cost driver is storage, not compute or throughput.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
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FAQ
Data Store Management — This question tests Data Store Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Amazon S3 — 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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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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