The answer is Amazon S3 Standard with a lifecycle policy to transition to S3 Standard-IA after 30 days and expire after 90 days. This is correct because an S3 lifecycle policy for log storage directly maps to the access pattern: logs are frequently written and read during the first 30 days, then become rarely accessed for the remaining 60 days, making S3 Standard-IA the ideal tier for cost-effective infrequent access with millisecond retrieval. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your ability to match storage tiers to data lifecycle patterns while minimizing costs, and a common trap is selecting S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval too early—remember that logs are still accessed occasionally for compliance audits, so Standard-IA is the sweet spot. Memory tip: think of the “30-60-90 rule”—30 days hot, 60 days cool, expire at 90.
DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
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 company needs to store application log files for 90 days for compliance. The logs are generated continuously and are rarely accessed after 30 days. The data engineer must minimize storage costs. Which storage solution should the engineer choose?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Amazon S3 Standard with a lifecycle policy to transition to S3 Standard-IA after 30 days and expire after 90 days
Amazon S3 Standard with a lifecycle policy to transition to S3 Standard-IA after 30 days and expire after 90 days is correct because it aligns with the access pattern: logs are frequently accessed only in the first 30 days, then rarely accessed for the remaining 60 days. S3 Standard-IA offers lower storage costs for infrequently accessed data while still providing millisecond retrieval, and the lifecycle policy automates the transition and eventual deletion, minimizing costs without sacrificing availability.
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.
✗
Amazon CloudWatch Logs with a retention policy of 90 days
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs is optimized for real-time monitoring and is more expensive than S3 for long-term storage.
✗
Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive
Why it's wrong here
Glacier Deep Archive has a minimum storage duration of 180 days, making it cost-ineffective for 90-day retention.
✗
Amazon EBS gp3 volumes attached to an EC2 instance
Why it's wrong here
EBS is for block storage and costs more for log storage than S3.
✓
Amazon S3 Standard with a lifecycle policy to transition to S3 Standard-IA after 30 days and expire after 90 days
Why this is correct
This minimizes cost by using cheaper storage for infrequently accessed data and deleting after compliance period.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose CloudWatch Logs (Option A) because it is a familiar logging service, but they overlook that its cost model (per GB ingested, per GB stored, and per GB archived) can be significantly higher than S3 for long-term retention of large log volumes, and it lacks the automated tiering to lower-cost storage classes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
S3 lifecycle policies use a combination of transition actions (e.g., to S3 Standard-IA after 30 days) and expiration actions (e.g., delete after 90 days) to automate data tiering. S3 Standard-IA charges a per-GB retrieval fee, but for rarely accessed logs, the storage cost savings (roughly half of S3 Standard) outweigh the retrieval costs. A common real-world scenario is a company that must retain logs for compliance but only needs quick access during the first month for troubleshooting; after that, the logs are only accessed for audits, where S3 Standard-IA's millisecond retrieval is sufficient.
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.
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: Amazon S3 Standard with a lifecycle policy to transition to S3 Standard-IA after 30 days and expire after 90 days — Amazon S3 Standard with a lifecycle policy to transition to S3 Standard-IA after 30 days and expire after 90 days is correct because it aligns with the access pattern: logs are frequently accessed only in the first 30 days, then rarely accessed for the remaining 60 days. S3 Standard-IA offers lower storage costs for infrequently accessed data while still providing millisecond retrieval, and the lifecycle policy automates the transition and eventual deletion, minimizing costs without sacrificing availability.
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: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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