- A
Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive
Why wrong: S3 Glacier Deep Archive: Incorrect. While very low storage cost, retrieval times typically take hours, exceeding the 5-minute requirement.
- B
Amazon S3 Standard
Why wrong: S3 Standard: Incorrect. High storage cost for data that is infrequently accessed; not cost-effective.
- C
Amazon S3 One Zone-IA
Why wrong: S3 One Zone-IA: Incorrect. Although cost-effective for infrequent access, its storage cost ($0.01/GB/month) is higher than Glacier Instant Retrieval ($0.004/GB/month), and it introduces single-AZ risk.
- D
Amazon S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval
S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval: Correct. Lowest storage cost among options that meet the 5-minute retrieval requirement, ideal for long-term archival of infrequently accessed, immutable data.
S3 One Zone-IA for Infrequent Access JSON: Low Cost, 5-Minute Retrieval
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. A key principle to apply: s3 Glacier Instant Retrieval. 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 engineer needs to store semi-structured JSON data that is accessed infrequently but must be retrievable within 5 minutes. The data is immutable once stored. Which storage 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
Amazon S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval
Amazon S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval is the most cost-effective choice for long-term archival of infrequently accessed, immutable data with a 5-minute retrieval requirement. It offers a storage cost of $0.004/GB/month, significantly lower than One Zone-IA at $0.01/GB/month, and retrieval times of milliseconds to minutes, easily meeting the 5-minute requirement. One Zone-IA is cheaper than S3 Standard but more expensive than Glacier Instant Retrieval, and its single-AZ design introduces availability risk. Glacier Deep Archive has a higher retrieval cost and typically takes hours, exceeding the 5-minute requirement.
Key principle: S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval
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 S3 Glacier Deep Archive
Why it's wrong here
S3 Glacier Deep Archive: Incorrect. While very low storage cost, retrieval times typically take hours, exceeding the 5-minute requirement.
- ✗
Amazon S3 Standard
Why it's wrong here
S3 Standard: Incorrect. High storage cost for data that is infrequently accessed; not cost-effective.
- ✗
Amazon S3 One Zone-IA
Why it's wrong here
S3 One Zone-IA: Incorrect. Although cost-effective for infrequent access, its storage cost ($0.01/GB/month) is higher than Glacier Instant Retrieval ($0.004/GB/month), and it introduces single-AZ risk.
- ✓
Amazon S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval
Why this is correct
S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval: Correct. Lowest storage cost among options that meet the 5-minute retrieval requirement, ideal for long-term archival of infrequently accessed, immutable data.
Related concept
S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap is that candidates may assume 'infrequently accessed' maps to 'archival' and choose Glacier Deep Archive, or they may focus on the single-AZ cost savings of One Zone-IA without comparing it to Glacier Instant Retrieval, missing the even lower storage cost of the latter.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
S3 One Zone-IA stores data in a single Availability Zone and charges a retrieval fee per GB accessed, which is a trade-off for lower storage costs. The 5-minute retrieval requirement is easily satisfied because One Zone-IA offers the same low-latency data access as S3 Standard (typically within milliseconds). In a real-world scenario, this storage class is ideal for non-critical, regenerable data like transient logs or cached JSON exports where durability across AZs is unnecessary.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval
- Cost optimization
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
S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval
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.
Review s3 Glacier Instant Retrieval, then practise related DEA-C01 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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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 — S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Amazon S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval — Amazon S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval is the most cost-effective choice for long-term archival of infrequently accessed, immutable data with a 5-minute retrieval requirement. It offers a storage cost of $0.004/GB/month, significantly lower than One Zone-IA at $0.01/GB/month, and retrieval times of milliseconds to minutes, easily meeting the 5-minute requirement. One Zone-IA is cheaper than S3 Standard but more expensive than Glacier Instant Retrieval, and its single-AZ design introduces availability risk. Glacier Deep Archive has a higher retrieval cost and typically takes hours, exceeding the 5-minute requirement.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Review s3 Glacier Instant Retrieval, then practise related DEA-C01 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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