- A
Enable S3 versioning on the bucket and configure cross-Region replication so previous versions are available after regional loss and accidental deletion.
Versioning retains prior object versions, and cross-Region replication provides redundancy across Regions for recovery after deletion or disaster.
- B
Move all objects to S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval and apply a lifecycle policy to keep only the latest object copy.
Why wrong: Glacier storage tiers do not prevent deletion of the latest version, and keeping only the latest copy fails the recovery requirement.
- C
Use S3 server-side encryption with KMS keys and rely on access logs to manually recover the deleted objects.
Why wrong: Encryption protects confidentiality but does not retain deleted data, and access logs do not reconstruct object contents.
- D
Enable S3 bucket policies that deny DeleteObject, but do not enable versioning or replication.
Why wrong: A deny policy can reduce future mistakes, but it does not provide recovery for the already-deleted objects or disaster resilience.
SAA-C03 Design Resilient Architectures Practice Question
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design resilient architectures. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. A key principle to apply: s3 Versioning retains all versions of an object, including deleted ones.. 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.
Your media processing pipeline writes original uploads to an S3 bucket and later generates derivative files. An operator accidentally deletes a subset of original uploads in production. You need to (1) restore the deleted objects with minimal data loss and (2) protect against both regional disasters and future operator mistakes. The company requires recovery even if objects are deleted and later overwritten.
What is the most effective change to meet these requirements?
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
Enable S3 versioning on the bucket and configure cross-Region replication so previous versions are available after regional loss and accidental deletion.
Option A is correct because enabling S3 Versioning preserves all object versions, including deleted markers and overwritten objects, allowing recovery from accidental deletions. Cross-Region Replication (CRR) replicates both current and previous versions to a secondary region, providing protection against regional disasters. This combination ensures that even if objects are deleted and later overwritten, the original versions remain recoverable in both the source and destination buckets.
Key principle: S3 Versioning retains all versions of an object, including deleted ones.
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 versioning on the bucket and configure cross-Region replication so previous versions are available after regional loss and accidental deletion.
Why this is correct
Versioning retains prior object versions, and cross-Region replication provides redundancy across Regions for recovery after deletion or disaster.
Related concept
S3 Versioning retains all versions of an object, including deleted ones.
- ✗
Move all objects to S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval and apply a lifecycle policy to keep only the latest object copy.
Why it's wrong here
Glacier storage tiers do not prevent deletion of the latest version, and keeping only the latest copy fails the recovery requirement.
- ✗
Use S3 server-side encryption with KMS keys and rely on access logs to manually recover the deleted objects.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption protects confidentiality but does not retain deleted data, and access logs do not reconstruct object contents.
- ✗
Enable S3 bucket policies that deny DeleteObject, but do not enable versioning or replication.
Why it's wrong here
A deny policy can reduce future mistakes, but it does not provide recovery for the already-deleted objects or disaster resilience.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume S3 bucket policies or encryption alone can protect against deletion, but only versioning preserves object history, and only replication provides regional disaster recovery.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
S3 Versioning works by assigning a unique version ID to each object upload; when an object is deleted, a delete marker is added instead of removing the underlying data, and overwrites create new versions while preserving the old ones. Cross-Region Replication (CRR) asynchronously replicates objects to a destination bucket in a different AWS region, and when configured with versioning, it replicates all versions including delete markers, ensuring full recovery capability. The combination of versioning and CRR meets the requirement for recovery even after overwrites because the original version IDs remain accessible in both regions.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- S3 Versioning retains all versions of an object, including deleted ones.
- A delete marker is added when an object is 'deleted' with versioning enabled.
- Cross-Region Replication (CRR) copies objects and their versions to another AWS Region.
- CRR replicates delete markers, ensuring consistent state across Regions.
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
S3 Versioning retains all versions of an object, including deleted ones.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review s3 Versioning retains all versions of an object, including deleted ones., then practise related SAA-C03 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAA-C03 question test?
Design Resilient Architectures — This question tests Design Resilient Architectures — S3 Versioning retains all versions of an object, including deleted ones..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable S3 versioning on the bucket and configure cross-Region replication so previous versions are available after regional loss and accidental deletion. — Option A is correct because enabling S3 Versioning preserves all object versions, including deleted markers and overwritten objects, allowing recovery from accidental deletions. Cross-Region Replication (CRR) replicates both current and previous versions to a secondary region, providing protection against regional disasters. This combination ensures that even if objects are deleted and later overwritten, the original versions remain recoverable in both the source and destination buckets.
What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 question wrong?
Review s3 Versioning retains all versions of an object, including deleted ones., then practise related SAA-C03 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
S3 Versioning retains all versions of an object, including deleted ones.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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