- A
Set the CloudWatch Logs retention policy on the log group to 90 days.
This ensures logs are deleted after 90 days.
- B
Set an S3 lifecycle policy on the destination bucket to transition objects to Glacier after 90 days.
Why wrong: This is for objects already in S3, not for the initial move.
- C
Create a CloudWatch Logs subscription filter to stream logs to Amazon S3 in real time.
Why wrong: Subscription filters stream to Lambda, Kinesis, or Elasticsearch, not directly to S3.
- D
Configure a CloudWatch Logs lifecycle policy to transition logs to Amazon S3 after 90 days.
Why wrong: CloudWatch Logs does not have a lifecycle policy to S3.
- E
Create a CloudWatch Logs export task to export logs to Amazon S3 before the retention period expires.
Export task copies logs to S3 for long-term storage.
DOP-C02 CloudWatch Logs retention policy Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring and logging. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. A key principle to apply: cloudWatch Logs retention policy. 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 uses Amazon CloudWatch Logs to store application logs. They have a requirement to retain logs for 90 days for operational analysis and then archive them to Amazon S3 for compliance purposes for an additional 5 years. Which of the following steps are necessary to meet this requirement? (Select TWO.)
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
Set the CloudWatch Logs retention policy on the log group to 90 days.
Option A is correct because setting the CloudWatch Logs retention policy on the log group to 90 days ensures logs are retained for operational analysis and then automatically expire (deleted) after 90 days. Option E is correct because to archive logs to Amazon S3 for compliance, you must use a CloudWatch Logs export task to export logs to S3 before the retention period expires. Option B is incorrect because an S3 lifecycle policy applies to objects already in S3, not to logs in CloudWatch. Option C is incorrect because subscription filters can stream logs in real time to destinations like Lambda or Kinesis, but not directly to S3 for archival. Option D is incorrect because CloudWatch Logs does not have a lifecycle policy to transition logs directly to S3; export is required.
Key principle: CloudWatch Logs retention policy
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Set the CloudWatch Logs retention policy on the log group to 90 days.
Why this is correct
This ensures logs are deleted after 90 days.
Related concept
CloudWatch Logs retention policy
- ✗
Set an S3 lifecycle policy on the destination bucket to transition objects to Glacier after 90 days.
Why it's wrong here
This is for objects already in S3, not for the initial move.
- ✗
Create a CloudWatch Logs subscription filter to stream logs to Amazon S3 in real time.
Why it's wrong here
Subscription filters stream to Lambda, Kinesis, or Elasticsearch, not directly to S3.
- ✗
Configure a CloudWatch Logs lifecycle policy to transition logs to Amazon S3 after 90 days.
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs does not have a lifecycle policy to S3.
- ✓
Create a CloudWatch Logs export task to export logs to Amazon S3 before the retention period expires.
Why this is correct
Export task copies logs to S3 for long-term storage.
Related concept
CloudWatch Logs retention policy
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Don't confuse CloudWatch Logs retention policies with S3 lifecycle policies. Retention only controls deletion from CloudWatch, not export to S3.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- CloudWatch Logs retention policy
- CloudWatch Logs export task
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
CloudWatch Logs retention policy
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.
Review cloudWatch Logs retention policy, then practise related DOP-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
- →
Monitoring and Logging — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Monitoring and Logging practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All DOP-C02 questions
1,750 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
DOP-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related DOP-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Configuration Management and IaC practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Configuration Management and IaC.
Resilient Cloud Solutions practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Resilient Cloud Solutions.
Monitoring and Logging practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Monitoring and Logging.
Incident and Event Response practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Incident and Event Response.
Security and Compliance practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Security and Compliance.
SDLC Automation practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to SDLC Automation.
DOP-C02 fundamentals practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 fundamentals.
DOP-C02 scenario practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 scenario.
DOP-C02 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free DOP-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
Monitoring and Logging — This question tests Monitoring and Logging — CloudWatch Logs retention policy.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set the CloudWatch Logs retention policy on the log group to 90 days. — Option A is correct because setting the CloudWatch Logs retention policy on the log group to 90 days ensures logs are retained for operational analysis and then automatically expire (deleted) after 90 days. Option E is correct because to archive logs to Amazon S3 for compliance, you must use a CloudWatch Logs export task to export logs to S3 before the retention period expires. Option B is incorrect because an S3 lifecycle policy applies to objects already in S3, not to logs in CloudWatch. Option C is incorrect because subscription filters can stream logs in real time to destinations like Lambda or Kinesis, but not directly to S3 for archival. Option D is incorrect because CloudWatch Logs does not have a lifecycle policy to transition logs directly to S3; export is required.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Review cloudWatch Logs retention policy, then practise related DOP-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
CloudWatch Logs retention policy
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More DOP-C02 practice questions
- A company uses AWS CodePipeline with a multi-branch strategy. A new feature branch triggers a pipeline that runs unit te…
- A development team uses AWS CodeBuild to compile a Java application and run unit tests. The build takes 30 minutes, but…
- A company uses AWS CodePipeline with multiple stages: Source (Amazon S3), Build (AWS CodeBuild), and Deploy (AWS CodeDep…
- A company uses AWS CodeCommit for source control. Developers frequently push large binary files (e.g., compiled JARs) to…
- A company runs a Stateful application on EC2 that requires sticky sessions. They use an ALB with duration-based stickine…
- An organization uses AWS CodePipeline to orchestrate deployments to multiple environments (dev, test, prod). Each enviro…
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This DOP-C02 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 DOP-C02 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.