Configuring S3 Cross-Region Replication for Disaster Recovery
A trading dashboard stores uploaded documents in S3. The business requires a copy in another AWS Region for disaster recovery. What should be configured?
Quick Answer
The answer is S3 Cross-Region Replication with versioning enabled. This configuration automatically copies every object uploaded to the source bucket into a destination bucket in a different AWS Region, creating a durable, low-latency disaster recovery copy without any manual intervention. Versioning must be enabled on both buckets because it tracks every version of an object, ensuring that overwrites and deletes are consistently replicated and that the destination remains an exact, recoverable mirror of the source. On the SAA-C03 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of CRR versus Same-Region Replication (SRR) and the mandatory prerequisite of versioning—a common trap is forgetting that versioning must be active on both sides. A useful memory tip: “Cross-Region needs Versioning on both ends to keep the copy consistent.”
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse lifecycle transitions (which change storage class within the same region) with cross-region replication (which copies data to a different region), or assume EBS snapshots apply to S3 storage.
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 Cross-Region Replication with versioning enabled
S3 Cross-Region Replication (CRR) with versioning enabled automatically replicates objects to a destination bucket in a different AWS Region, providing a durable, low-latency disaster recovery copy. Versioning must be enabled on both source and destination buckets to track object changes and ensure consistency during replication. This meets the requirement for a cross-region copy without manual intervention.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
An EBS snapshot schedule
Why it's wrong here
EBS snapshots do not apply to S3 objects.
- ✓
S3 Cross-Region Replication with versioning enabled
Why this is correct
CRR asynchronously replicates objects to a bucket in another Region and requires versioning.
- ✗
S3 lifecycle transition to Glacier Flexible Retrieval
Why it's wrong here
Lifecycle transition changes storage class, not Region.
- ✗
A CloudFront distribution
Why it's wrong here
CloudFront caches content but is not a durable DR copy.
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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Same concept, more angles
3 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 trading dashboard stores uploaded documents in S3. The business requires a copy in another AWS Region for disaster recovery. What should be configured? The design must avoid adding custom operational scripts.
medium- A.An EBS snapshot schedule
- ✓ B.S3 Cross-Region Replication with versioning enabled
- C.S3 lifecycle transition to Glacier Flexible Retrieval
- D.A CloudFront distribution
Why B: S3 Cross-Region Replication (CRR) automatically replicates objects to a destination bucket in a different AWS Region, meeting the disaster recovery requirement without custom scripts. Versioning must be enabled on both source and destination buckets for CRR to function, as it tracks object versions and ensures consistency during replication.
Variation 2. A trading dashboard stores uploaded documents in S3. The business requires a copy in another AWS Region for disaster recovery. What should be configured? The team wants the control to be enforceable during normal operations.
medium- A.An EBS snapshot schedule
- ✓ B.S3 Cross-Region Replication with versioning enabled
- C.S3 lifecycle transition to Glacier Flexible Retrieval
- D.A CloudFront distribution
Why B: S3 Cross-Region Replication (CRR) automatically replicates objects to a destination bucket in a different AWS Region, providing a disaster recovery copy. Enabling versioning on both source and destination buckets is required for CRR to function, and replication can be enforced during normal operations by applying an IAM policy that denies `s3:PutObject` unless the request includes the `x-amz-server-side-encryption` header or by using a bucket policy that requires replication. This meets the business requirement for an enforceable, automated DR copy.
Variation 3. A trading dashboard stores uploaded documents in S3. The business requires a copy in another AWS Region for disaster recovery. What should be configured? The architecture review board prefers a managed AWS-native control.
medium- A.An EBS snapshot schedule
- ✓ B.S3 Cross-Region Replication with versioning enabled
- C.S3 lifecycle transition to Glacier Flexible Retrieval
- D.A CloudFront distribution
Why B: S3 Cross-Region Replication (CRR) is the correct AWS-native managed solution for automatically replicating objects from a source S3 bucket in one region to a destination bucket in another region, meeting the disaster recovery requirement. Versioning must be enabled on both source and destination buckets for CRR to function, as replication relies on version IDs to track and copy objects. This provides asynchronous, automatic replication without custom scripting or third-party tools.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SAA-C03 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 SAA-C03 exam.