DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
Network Topology
A data engineer reviewed the S3 lifecycle policy shown in the exhibit. The engineer notices that objects under the 'logs/' prefix are being deleted after 365 days. The business requirement is to retain logs for at least 5 years. What should the engineer change in the lifecycle policy?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse transition actions (which change storage class) with expiration actions (which delete objects), or incorrectly assume that changing the prefix or removing expiration will meet the retention requirement without adjusting the day count.
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
✓
Set the expiration days to 1825
The business requirement is to retain logs for at least 5 years, which is 1,825 days (5 × 365). The current lifecycle policy sets expiration to 365 days, causing premature deletion. By setting the expiration days to 1,825, the S3 lifecycle policy will delete objects under the 'logs/' prefix only after 5 years, meeting the retention 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.
- ✗
Change the prefix to 'logs/archive/'
Why it's wrong here
Renaming the prefix to 'logs/archive/' only changes which objects the rule matches; the 365-day Expiration still deletes them, and existing 'logs/' objects fall outside the rule entirely. It is tempting because prefix scoping is a real lifecycle control, and it is correct when you must apply different retention to a subset of keys.
- ✓
Set the expiration days to 1825
Why this is correct
The lifecycle rule expires objects after 365 days, but the business needs five years of retention. Setting expiration to 1825 days (5 × 365) aligns deletion with the retention requirement, correcting the premature removal of logs under the 'logs/' prefix.
- ✗
Change the transition to GLACIER on day 365
Why it's wrong here
Transitioning to GLACIER on day 365 archives objects but the separate Expiration action still deletes them at day 365, so the five-year requirement fails. It is tempting because Glacier is the low-cost long-term store, and it is correct when the goal is cheaper storage rather than extending retention beyond the deletion date.
- ✗
Remove the expiration action
Why it's wrong here
Removing the Expiration action stops deletion, but without a transition the objects remain in S3 Standard indefinitely, so the five-year retention is met at full storage cost. It is tempting as the minimal edit, and it is correct when the requirement is retention only and cost optimisation is not a concern.
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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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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