- A
The bucket has versioning enabled.
Why wrong: Versioning does not prevent lifecycle transitions. Objects of any version can still transition based on the policy.
- B
Deep Archive is not supported in the bucket's region.
Why wrong: S3 Deep Archive is supported in all commercial AWS regions, so this is not the cause.
- C
Objects are smaller than 128 KB.
Objects must be at least 128 KB to transition to S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval. If objects are smaller, the first transition fails, preventing subsequent transitions.
- D
The transition to Deep Archive requires a minimum of 30 days after the previous transition.
Why wrong: AWS requires a minimum of 30 days between transitions. The policy transitions at 30 and 60 days, exactly 30 days apart, so this requirement is satisfied and is not the cause of failure.
Troubleshooting S3 Lifecycle Transition to Deep Archive — AWS Data Engineer Associate
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 data engineer has set up an Amazon S3 lifecycle policy to transition objects to Glacier Instant Retrieval after 30 days. After 60 days, objects should transition to Deep Archive. However, objects are not transitioning to Deep Archive. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
Objects are smaller than 128 KB.
Amazon S3 lifecycle policies have a minimum object size requirement for transitions to certain storage classes. Objects must be at least 128 KB to transition to S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval. Since the policy first transitions objects to Glacier Instant Retrieval after 30 days, objects smaller than 128 KB cannot undergo that transition, and subsequent transitions to Deep Archive will also fail. The 30-day minimum interval requirement is met (30 days between transitions), so option D is not the cause. Versioning (A) does not prevent transitions, and Deep Archive (B) is supported in all commercial AWS regions. Therefore, the most likely cause is that objects are smaller than 128 KB.
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.
- ✗
The bucket has versioning enabled.
Why it's wrong here
Versioning does not prevent lifecycle transitions. Objects of any version can still transition based on the policy.
- ✗
Deep Archive is not supported in the bucket's region.
Why it's wrong here
S3 Deep Archive is supported in all commercial AWS regions, so this is not the cause.
- ✓
Objects are smaller than 128 KB.
Why this is correct
Objects must be at least 128 KB to transition to S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval. If objects are smaller, the first transition fails, preventing subsequent transitions.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The transition to Deep Archive requires a minimum of 30 days after the previous transition.
Why it's wrong here
AWS requires a minimum of 30 days between transitions. The policy transitions at 30 and 60 days, exactly 30 days apart, so this requirement is satisfied and is not the cause of failure.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Candidates often overlook the 128 KB minimum object size for transitions to S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval, mistakenly attributing the failure to the 30-day interval rule.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
S3 lifecycle policies enforce a 30-day minimum interval between storage class transitions to prevent rapid cycling and ensure cost predictability. This rule is documented in the AWS S3 User Guide under 'Transition constraints' and applies to transitions from any storage class to Glacier Deep Archive. For example, if an object transitions from S3 Standard to Glacier Instant Retrieval on day 30, the earliest it can transition to Deep Archive is day 60, which is exactly 30 days later. In practice, if the policy is set to transition at 60 days, objects created exactly 60 days ago would have been in Glacier Instant Retrieval for only 30 days, meeting the minimum, but any delay in policy execution or object creation time could cause the transition to fail if the gap is less than 30 days.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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: Objects are smaller than 128 KB. — Amazon S3 lifecycle policies have a minimum object size requirement for transitions to certain storage classes. Objects must be at least 128 KB to transition to S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval. Since the policy first transitions objects to Glacier Instant Retrieval after 30 days, objects smaller than 128 KB cannot undergo that transition, and subsequent transitions to Deep Archive will also fail. The 30-day minimum interval requirement is met (30 days between transitions), so option D is not the cause. Versioning (A) does not prevent transitions, and Deep Archive (B) is supported in all commercial AWS regions. Therefore, the most likely cause is that objects are smaller than 128 KB.
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: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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