- A
Delete backups after 30 days to avoid storage costs, since restores are rare.
Why wrong: Deleting after 30 days violates the stated requirement to retain backups for 2 years.
- B
Keep all backups in S3 Standard for the entire 2-year retention period.
Why wrong: S3 Standard is usually more expensive than tiered archival classes for long-term, infrequent access.
- C
Use an S3 lifecycle policy to keep backups in S3 Standard for 30 days, then transition them to S3 Glacier Deep Archive for the remainder of the 2-year retention period.
A lifecycle transition after the initial restore window reduces cost while still meeting the 2-year retention requirement.
- D
Move backups to S3 Glacier Deep Archive immediately after creation, even for the first 30 days.
Why wrong: Immediate Deep Archive storage may make restorations during the first 30 days too slow.
SAA-C03 Design Cost-Optimized Architectures Practice Question
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design cost-optimized architectures. 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 company keeps daily database backups in an S3 bucket. They may restore from backups during the first 30 days if there is an issue. After 30 days, backups are rarely restored, but must be retained for 2 years. Which lifecycle strategy most cost-effectively meets these requirements?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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 an S3 lifecycle policy to keep backups in S3 Standard for 30 days, then transition them to S3 Glacier Deep Archive for the remainder of the 2-year retention period.
Option C is correct because it balances cost and compliance: backups are kept in S3 Standard for the first 30 days when restores are frequent, ensuring low-latency access, then transitioned to S3 Glacier Deep Archive for the remaining retention period. S3 Glacier Deep Archive offers the lowest storage cost (approximately $0.00099/GB/month) for long-term retention, and the lifecycle policy automates the transition without manual intervention. This approach minimizes storage costs while meeting the 2-year retention requirement.
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.
- ✗
Delete backups after 30 days to avoid storage costs, since restores are rare.
Why it's wrong here
Deleting after 30 days violates the stated requirement to retain backups for 2 years.
- ✗
Keep all backups in S3 Standard for the entire 2-year retention period.
Why it's wrong here
S3 Standard is usually more expensive than tiered archival classes for long-term, infrequent access.
- ✓
Use an S3 lifecycle policy to keep backups in S3 Standard for 30 days, then transition them to S3 Glacier Deep Archive for the remainder of the 2-year retention period.
Why this is correct
A lifecycle transition after the initial restore window reduces cost while still meeting the 2-year retention requirement.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Move backups to S3 Glacier Deep Archive immediately after creation, even for the first 30 days.
Why it's wrong here
Immediate Deep Archive storage may make restorations during the first 30 days too slow.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume immediate deletion (Option A) or immediate archiving (Option D) are acceptable, failing to recognize the dual requirement of frequent access in the first 30 days and long-term retention at minimal cost, which the lifecycle policy elegantly addresses.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
S3 lifecycle policies use transition actions that move objects between storage classes based on age, with a minimum of 30 days before transitioning to Glacier Deep Archive (per AWS documentation). The cost savings are significant: S3 Standard costs ~$0.023/GB/month, while S3 Glacier Deep Archive costs ~$0.00099/GB/month, a ~96% reduction. However, note that Glacier Deep Archive has a 180-day minimum storage charge per object, so transitioning after 30 days still incurs the full minimum charge, but this is still cheaper than keeping data in S3 Standard for 2 years.
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 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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAA-C03 question test?
Design Cost-Optimized Architectures — This question tests Design Cost-Optimized Architectures — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use an S3 lifecycle policy to keep backups in S3 Standard for 30 days, then transition them to S3 Glacier Deep Archive for the remainder of the 2-year retention period. — Option C is correct because it balances cost and compliance: backups are kept in S3 Standard for the first 30 days when restores are frequent, ensuring low-latency access, then transitioned to S3 Glacier Deep Archive for the remaining retention period. S3 Glacier Deep Archive offers the lowest storage cost (approximately $0.00099/GB/month) for long-term retention, and the lifecycle policy automates the transition without manual intervention. This approach minimizes storage costs while meeting the 2-year retention requirement.
What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 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: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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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