DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
Which TWO actions can help optimize Amazon S3 storage costs for a data lake? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse cost optimization for storage (reducing stored data cost) with cost optimization for data transfer or retrieval, leading them to select options like S3 Select or Transfer Acceleration that address different cost dimensions.
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 S3 Intelligent-Tiering for unpredictable access patterns
S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically moves objects between two access tiers (frequent and infrequent) when access patterns change, with no retrieval fees and a small monthly monitoring fee. This is ideal for a data lake where access patterns are unpredictable, as it optimizes costs without requiring manual lifecycle rule adjustments.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Enable S3 Replication to another region
Why it's wrong here
Replication increases costs due to storage and data transfer.
- ✓
Use S3 Intelligent-Tiering for unpredictable access patterns
Why this is correct
Intelligent-Tiering automatically optimizes costs based on access patterns.
- ✗
Use S3 Select to retrieve only needed data
Why it's wrong here
S3 Select reduces data transfer costs, not storage costs.
- ✗
Enable S3 Transfer Acceleration
Why it's wrong here
Transfer Acceleration speeds up uploads, does not reduce storage costs.
- ✓
Implement S3 Lifecycle policies to transition objects to Glacier
Why this is correct
Lifecycle policies reduce storage costs by moving data to cheaper tiers.
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 |
Go deeper
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.