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 team uses the CloudFormation template in the exhibit to create an S3 bucket for storing log files. After one year, they notice that the bucket size is larger than expected. They investigate and find that older versions of objects are not being deleted or transitioned. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The lifecycle rule does not apply to noncurrent versions because it lacks NoncurrentVersionExpiration or NoncurrentVersionTransition.
Option A is correct because the lifecycle rule in the CloudFormation template is missing the `NoncurrentVersionExpiration` or `NoncurrentVersionTransition` properties. When S3 bucket versioning is enabled, lifecycle rules that only specify `ExpirationInDays` or `Transition` apply exclusively to the current version of objects. To manage older (noncurrent) versions, you must explicitly include `NoncurrentVersionExpirationInDays` or `NoncurrentVersionTransitionInDays` in the rule. Without these, noncurrent versions accumulate indefinitely, causing the bucket size to grow larger than expected.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
The lifecycle rule does not apply to noncurrent versions because it lacks NoncurrentVersionExpiration or NoncurrentVersionTransition.
Why this is correct
Old versions are not managed by the rule.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The lifecycle rule is not enabled because the Status property is not set to 'Enabled' properly.
Why it's wrong here
Status is 'Enabled'.
✗
The bucket has versioning enabled, but the lifecycle rule only applies to current versions.
Why it's wrong here
The rule applies to current versions only, but old versions are not handled.
✗
The expiration in days is set to 365, which is too short.
Why it's wrong here
Expiration is fine for current versions, but old versions remain.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume a lifecycle rule with `ExpirationInDays` automatically cleans up all versions of an object, but in S3 with versioning enabled, it only affects the current version, leaving noncurrent versions to accumulate.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, S3 lifecycle policies evaluate object versions independently. When versioning is enabled, each object has a current version and zero or more noncurrent versions. The `ExpirationInDays` action removes only the current version (by adding a delete marker), while noncurrent versions persist unless a `NoncurrentVersionExpirationInDays` action is specified. A common real-world scenario is log rotation: without noncurrent version management, old logs remain and inflate storage costs, often leading to unexpected bills.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Data Store Management — This question tests Data Store Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The lifecycle rule does not apply to noncurrent versions because it lacks NoncurrentVersionExpiration or NoncurrentVersionTransition. — Option A is correct because the lifecycle rule in the CloudFormation template is missing the `NoncurrentVersionExpiration` or `NoncurrentVersionTransition` properties. When S3 bucket versioning is enabled, lifecycle rules that only specify `ExpirationInDays` or `Transition` apply exclusively to the current version of objects. To manage older (noncurrent) versions, you must explicitly include `NoncurrentVersionExpirationInDays` or `NoncurrentVersionTransitionInDays` in the rule. Without these, noncurrent versions accumulate indefinitely, causing the bucket size to grow larger than expected.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.