Question 246 of 302
S3 Standard-IA vs One Zone-IA for Infrequent Access
A log archive serves infrequently accessed user documents that must be available immediately when requested. Which S3 storage class is likely the best cost fit?
Quick Answer
The answer is S3 Standard-IA or One Zone-IA, depending on your resilience needs. Both storage classes are designed for infrequently accessed data with immediate retrieval, offering millisecond latency access while significantly reducing storage costs compared to S3 Standard. Standard-IA achieves this by charging a retrieval fee in exchange for lower per-GB storage, making it ideal for data that must survive an Availability Zone failure, whereas One Zone-IA cuts costs further by storing data in a single AZ, suitable for easily reproducible or non-critical logs. On the SAA-C03 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between retrieval latency and durability—a common trap is choosing a Glacier tier for cost savings, but those classes impose retrieval delays of minutes to hours, violating the “available immediately” requirement. Memory tip: if the data must survive a data center loss, pick Standard-IA; if you can tolerate losing the AZ, pick One Zone-IA for the lowest cost.
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse 'infrequently accessed' with 'archival' and choose Glacier Deep Archive, forgetting that the requirement for immediate availability eliminates any Glacier tier due to its retrieval delays.
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
✓
S3 Standard-IA or S3 One Zone-IA depending on resilience requirements
S3 Standard-IA or S3 One Zone-IA is the best cost fit because the workload involves infrequently accessed data that requires immediate retrieval (millisecond latency). Standard-IA offers lower storage cost than S3 Standard while maintaining high durability and low-latency access, and One Zone-IA provides even lower cost for data that can tolerate a single-AZ failure. Both classes meet the 'available immediately' requirement, unlike Glacier tiers which have retrieval delays.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Instance store volumes
Why it's wrong here
Instance store is ephemeral block storage, not durable document storage.
- ✓
S3 Standard-IA or S3 One Zone-IA depending on resilience requirements
Why this is correct
Infrequent Access classes reduce storage cost while keeping millisecond retrieval.
- ✗
S3 Standard for all objects
Why it's wrong here
Standard costs more for infrequently accessed data.
- ✗
S3 Glacier Deep Archive
Why it's wrong here
Deep Archive has long retrieval times and is not immediate access.
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 |
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Same concept, more angles
4 more ways this is tested on SAA-C03
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A log archive serves infrequently accessed user documents that must be available immediately when requested. Which S3 storage class is likely the best cost fit? The design must avoid adding custom operational scripts.
medium- A.Instance store volumes
- ✓ B.S3 Standard-IA or S3 One Zone-IA depending on resilience requirements
- C.S3 Standard for all objects
- D.S3 Glacier Deep Archive
Why B: S3 Standard-IA or S3 One Zone-IA is the best cost fit because the workload involves infrequently accessed documents that require immediate retrieval. These storage classes offer lower storage costs than S3 Standard while maintaining low-latency access (milliseconds), and they avoid custom operational scripts since retrieval is automatic via standard S3 GET requests. The choice between Standard-IA and One Zone-IA depends on whether the data requires multi-AZ resilience or can tolerate a single-AZ failure.
Variation 2. A internal reporting portal serves infrequently accessed user documents that must be available immediately when requested. Which S3 storage class is likely the best cost fit?
medium- A.Instance store volumes
- B.S3 Glacier Deep Archive
- C.S3 Standard for all objects
- ✓ D.S3 Standard-IA or S3 One Zone-IA depending on resilience requirements
Why D: S3 Standard-IA or S3 One Zone-IA is the best cost fit because the data is infrequently accessed but must be available immediately when requested. These storage classes offer low-latency retrieval (milliseconds) at a lower storage cost than S3 Standard, with the trade-off of a retrieval fee. The choice between Standard-IA and One Zone-IA depends on whether the application requires resilience against Availability Zone failures.
Variation 3. A internal reporting portal serves infrequently accessed user documents that must be available immediately when requested. Which S3 storage class is likely the best cost fit? The design must avoid adding custom operational scripts.
medium- A.Instance store volumes
- B.S3 Glacier Deep Archive
- C.S3 Standard for all objects
- ✓ D.S3 Standard-IA or S3 One Zone-IA depending on resilience requirements
Why D: S3 Standard-IA or S3 One Zone-IA is the best cost fit because the data is infrequently accessed but requires immediate availability when requested. These storage classes offer lower storage costs than S3 Standard while providing low-latency retrieval (milliseconds), avoiding the retrieval delays or operational overhead of archival tiers. The choice between Standard-IA and One Zone-IA depends on resilience needs: Standard-IA stores data across multiple AZs, while One Zone-IA stores data in a single AZ at a lower cost.
Variation 4. A internal reporting portal serves infrequently accessed user documents that must be available immediately when requested. Which S3 storage class is likely the best cost fit? The architecture review board prefers a managed AWS-native control.
medium- A.Instance store volumes
- B.S3 Glacier Deep Archive
- C.S3 Standard for all objects
- ✓ D.S3 Standard-IA or S3 One Zone-IA depending on resilience requirements
Why D: S3 Standard-IA or S3 One Zone-IA is the best cost fit because the data is infrequently accessed but requires immediate availability when requested. These storage classes offer lower storage costs than S3 Standard while providing millisecond first-byte latency, meeting the 'immediately available' requirement. The choice between Standard-IA and One Zone-IA depends on the resilience needs (e.g., multi-AZ vs. single-AZ durability).
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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