- A
Use RDS native backup and restore to keep a separate backup.
Why wrong: Backups incur costs and don't remove data from the live database.
- B
Export old records using pg_dump and store in S3 Glacier Deep Archive.
This offloads old data to low-cost archival storage.
- C
Enable storage autoscaling on the RDS instance.
Why wrong: Autoscaling increases storage, doesn't archive.
- D
Move old records to a separate table in the same RDS instance.
Why wrong: Still incurs storage costs on RDS.
Question 63 of 1,786
DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 company has an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance with a large table that is frequently updated. The data engineer needs to reduce storage costs by archiving old records that are no longer accessed. The archived records must be retained for 7 years due to compliance requirements. Which solution is MOST cost-effective?
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
✓
Export old records using pg_dump and store in S3 Glacier Deep Archive.
Option B is correct because exporting old records via pg_dump and storing them in S3 Glacier Deep Archive provides the lowest-cost storage for data that must be retained for 7 years but is never accessed. S3 Glacier Deep Archive offers retrieval times of 12–48 hours at a storage cost of approximately $0.00099/GB/month, far cheaper than any RDS storage tier. This approach removes the archived data from the RDS instance, reducing provisioned storage costs while meeting compliance requirements.
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.
- ✗
Use RDS native backup and restore to keep a separate backup.
Why it's wrong here
Backups incur costs and don't remove data from the live database.
- ✓
Export old records using pg_dump and store in S3 Glacier Deep Archive.
Why this is correct
This offloads old data to low-cost archival storage.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable storage autoscaling on the RDS instance.
Why it's wrong here
Autoscaling increases storage, doesn't archive.
- ✗
Move old records to a separate table in the same RDS instance.
Why it's wrong here
Still incurs storage costs on RDS.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'archiving' with 'backup' or 'storage autoscaling,' failing to recognize that only moving data out of the RDS instance to a low-cost storage class like S3 Glacier Deep Archive actually reduces ongoing storage costs.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
pg_dump exports data in a plain-text or custom-format dump file, which can be compressed before upload to S3 Glacier Deep Archive, further reducing costs. S3 Glacier Deep Archive uses a 90-day minimum storage duration, so for 7-year retention, the per-GB cost is extremely low, but retrieval is not immediate—this is acceptable for compliance-only data. The RDS instance's provisioned IOPS and storage charges are based on allocated size, so removing old records directly reduces the storage footprint and associated costs.
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 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.
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 |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DEA-C01 question test?
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: Export old records using pg_dump and store in S3 Glacier Deep Archive. — Option B is correct because exporting old records via pg_dump and storing them in S3 Glacier Deep Archive provides the lowest-cost storage for data that must be retained for 7 years but is never accessed. S3 Glacier Deep Archive offers retrieval times of 12–48 hours at a storage cost of approximately $0.00099/GB/month, far cheaper than any RDS storage tier. This approach removes the archived data from the RDS instance, reducing provisioned storage costs while meeting compliance requirements.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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