- A
Configure a CloudWatch Logs metric filter and invoke a Lambda function to write to S3
Why wrong: This adds latency and complexity; not as reliable as Firehose.
- B
Use CloudWatch Logs Insights to query logs and save results to S3
Why wrong: Insights is for ad-hoc queries, not real-time delivery.
- C
Use CloudWatch Logs subscription filter with Kinesis Data Firehose to deliver to S3
Firehose can deliver to S3 within minutes.
- D
Use the CloudWatch Logs export to S3 feature
Why wrong: Export is a batch operation that can take hours.
Question 1,239 of 1,786
Stream CloudWatch Logs to S3 in Near Real-Time
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data ingestion and transformation. 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 is ingesting log files from EC2 instances into CloudWatch Logs and then wants to deliver them to S3 for long-term storage and analysis. The data engineer needs to ensure the logs are delivered to S3 within 5 minutes of being generated. Which approach meets this requirement?
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
✓
Use CloudWatch Logs subscription filter with Kinesis Data Firehose to deliver to S3
Option C is correct because CloudWatch Logs subscription filters can stream log data in near real-time to Kinesis Data Firehose, which then delivers the data to S3 with a buffer interval configurable down to 60 seconds, easily meeting the 5-minute requirement. This approach provides the lowest latency for automated, continuous delivery without custom code.
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.
- ✗
Configure a CloudWatch Logs metric filter and invoke a Lambda function to write to S3
Why it's wrong here
This adds latency and complexity; not as reliable as Firehose.
- ✗
Use CloudWatch Logs Insights to query logs and save results to S3
Why it's wrong here
Insights is for ad-hoc queries, not real-time delivery.
- ✓
Use CloudWatch Logs subscription filter with Kinesis Data Firehose to deliver to S3
Why this is correct
Firehose can deliver to S3 within minutes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use the CloudWatch Logs export to S3 feature
Why it's wrong here
Export is a batch operation that can take hours.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the batch export feature (which has a 12-hour latency) with a real-time solution, or assume a Lambda-based approach is simpler without considering the latency and management overhead of custom code.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Kinesis Data Firehose buffers incoming data based on a configurable interval (minimum 60 seconds) or size threshold (minimum 1 MB), whichever comes first, enabling sub-5-minute delivery to S3. The subscription filter uses a real-time stream of log events from CloudWatch Logs to a Kinesis stream or Firehose, with data automatically compressed (GZIP) and partitioned by date/time in S3. In practice, this setup is ideal for compliance scenarios requiring rapid log archival, such as PCI DSS or SOC 2 audit trails.
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.
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 Ingestion and Transformation — This question tests Data Ingestion and Transformation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use CloudWatch Logs subscription filter with Kinesis Data Firehose to deliver to S3 — Option C is correct because CloudWatch Logs subscription filters can stream log data in near real-time to Kinesis Data Firehose, which then delivers the data to S3 with a buffer interval configurable down to 60 seconds, easily meeting the 5-minute requirement. This approach provides the lowest latency for automated, continuous delivery without custom code.
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
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.
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