SAA-C03 Design Cost-Optimized Architectures Practice Question
A solutions architect is reviewing an Amazon S3 bucket that stores application assets. The bucket has S3 Versioning enabled and accumulates many noncurrent object versions that are no longer needed. The team wants to reduce storage cost while preserving the ability to recover from accidental deletions of current objects. Which two actions should the architect take? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is thinking that disabling versioning is the way to cut version-related storage cost, when it neither deletes existing noncurrent versions nor preserves the accidental-deletion recovery the team requires.
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
✓
Configure a lifecycle rule to expire noncurrent versions after a defined number of days.
The two cost drivers are accumulated noncurrent versions and lingering incomplete multipart uploads. A lifecycle rule expiring noncurrent versions removes unneeded old copies while preserving current-object recovery, and a rule aborting incomplete multipart uploads eliminates billable orphaned parts. Together they reduce storage cost without disabling versioning or harming retrieval of active assets.
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 Transfer Acceleration on the bucket to reduce storage charges.
Why it's wrong here
S3 Transfer Acceleration speeds up uploads over long distances by routing through edge locations, and it adds a separate charge rather than reducing storage cost. It has no effect on the storage consumed by noncurrent versions or incomplete multipart uploads, so it does not address the scenario's cost problem.
- ✓
Configure a lifecycle rule to expire noncurrent versions after a defined number of days.
Why this is correct
Expiring noncurrent versions after a retention period removes old versions that are no longer needed, directly reducing storage charges while keeping current objects and recent versions protected. This is the standard S3 lifecycle action for controlling version accumulation cost.
- ✓
Add a lifecycle rule to abort incomplete multipart uploads after a set number of days.
Why this is correct
Incomplete multipart uploads leave parts in the bucket that are billed as storage even though they are not usable objects. A lifecycle rule that aborts them after a defined period removes this hidden cost source. It complements noncurrent version expiration and helps control overall bucket storage charges.
- ✗
Transition current object versions to S3 Glacier Deep Archive immediately upon creation.
Why it's wrong here
Transitioning current versions immediately to S3 Glacier Deep Archive would make active assets unavailable for immediate retrieval, which breaks the application. Deep Archive also has a 180-day minimum storage duration and retrieval delays. This action harms availability rather than optimizing cost appropriately.
- ✗
Disable S3 Versioning on the bucket to stop new versions from being created.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling versioning stops new versions but does not remove existing noncurrent versions, so storage cost from accumulated versions remains. It also weakens the ability to recover from accidental deletions of current objects, which the team wants to preserve. This action does not meet either the cost or the recovery requirement.
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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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Amazon Web Services exam blueprint
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