A media company stores application logs in S3. The logs must be kept for 400 days. They are read heavily for the first 30 days, occasionally for the next 90 days, and almost never after that. Retrieval after the first 3 months can wait a few hours. Which three lifecycle actions should they use to minimize storage cost? Select three.

Keep all objects in S3 Standard for the full retention period.

S3 Standard is the most expensive of the listed storage choices for long-lived, rarely accessed logs. Keeping everything in Standard ignores the clear decline in access frequency.

Transition objects to S3 One Zone-IA after 30 days.

One Zone-IA reduces cost, but it stores data in a single Availability Zone. For audit logs, that durability tradeoff is usually unnecessary and less appropriate than Standard-IA and Glacier.

What does this SAA-C03 question test?

Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Transition objects to S3 Standard-IA after 30 days. — The lifecycle should match the access pattern over time. Standard-IA is a good fit once logs are no longer frequently accessed but still need quick retrieval. Glacier Flexible Retrieval lowers cost further when retrieval can take longer. Finally, expiration at 400 days stops unnecessary charges after the compliance retention period ends. This sequence preserves access when needed and progressively lowers storage spend. Keeping logs in S3 Standard for the full term is needlessly expensive, and One Zone-IA trades away durability in a way that is usually not justified for audit logs. The scenario already allows slower retrieval later, so the lifecycle policy should take advantage of colder classes instead of retaining premium storage.

What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 question wrong?

Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.