The correct answer is that objects in the 'logs/' prefix are moved to S3 Standard-IA after 30 days, to Glacier after 90 days, and deleted after 365 days. This is because the lifecycle policy explicitly applies to the 'logs/' prefix, using the 'Filter' element to scope the rules, and the 'Transitions' define storage class changes at the specified day intervals while the 'Expiration' action with 'Days: 365' permanently removes the objects. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, interpreting S3 lifecycle policy rules tests your ability to read JSON or YAML output from the CLI and map each action to its effect, with a common trap being confusion over whether 'Expiration' means deletion or a transition to a cheaper tier. Remember that transitions move data between storage classes, while expiration triggers permanent deletion. A useful memory tip: "Transitions change the tier, expiration makes it disappear."
DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
Network Topology
A data engineer runs the AWS CLI command to retrieve the lifecycle configuration of the 'my-data-lake' bucket. The output is shown in the exhibit. What is the effect of this lifecycle policy?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Objects in the 'logs/' prefix are moved to S3 Standard-IA after 30 days, to Glacier after 90 days, and deleted after 365 days.
Option C is correct because the lifecycle policy explicitly applies to the 'logs/' prefix, transitioning objects to S3 Standard-IA after 30 days, then to Glacier after 90 days, and finally expiring (deleting) them after 365 days. The 'Expiration' action with 'Days: 365' permanently removes the objects, while the 'Transitions' define the storage class changes at the specified intervals.
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.
✗
Objects in the 'logs/' prefix are deleted after 365 days and their delete markers are removed.
Why it's wrong here
No versioning mentioned; expiration deletes current version.
✗
All objects in the bucket are moved to STANDARD_IA after 30 days.
Why it's wrong here
Only objects with prefix 'logs/' are affected.
✓
Objects in the 'logs/' prefix are moved to S3 Standard-IA after 30 days, to Glacier after 90 days, and deleted after 365 days.
Why this is correct
Matches the transitions and expiration.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Objects in the 'logs/' prefix are moved to Glacier after 90 days and expired after 90 days.
Why it's wrong here
Expiration is at 365 days, not 90.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often overlook the prefix filter and assume the policy applies to the entire bucket, or they misread the expiration as occurring at 90 days instead of 365 days, leading to incorrect answers like B or D.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
S3 lifecycle policies evaluate transitions and expirations based on the object's creation date (or, for current versions, the number of days since creation). The 'Transition' action changes the storage class to STANDARD_IA (infrequent access) after 30 days, then to GLACIER (for archival) after 90 days, and the 'Expiration' action permanently deletes the object after 365 days. Note that Glacier retrieval requires restoration before access, and the policy does not affect noncurrent versions unless explicitly configured with version-specific rules.
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: Objects in the 'logs/' prefix are moved to S3 Standard-IA after 30 days, to Glacier after 90 days, and deleted after 365 days. — Option C is correct because the lifecycle policy explicitly applies to the 'logs/' prefix, transitioning objects to S3 Standard-IA after 30 days, then to Glacier after 90 days, and finally expiring (deleting) them after 365 days. The 'Expiration' action with 'Days: 365' permanently removes the objects, while the 'Transitions' define the storage class changes at the specified intervals.
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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Question Discussion
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