Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon S3 with S3 Object Lock, AWS CloudTrail, and a centralized logging account. This combination is correct because S3 Object Lock enforces a write-once-read-many (WORM) model, preventing any object deletion or overwriting for a specified retention period—here, seven years—while CloudTrail captures API activity across all source accounts and delivers those immutable logs to a single S3 bucket in a dedicated logging account. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to design multi-account compliance solutions using native AWS services, with a common trap being to overlook S3 Object Lock’s legal hold or governance mode versus the required compliance mode for true immutability. Remember the mnemonic “S3-C-Trail-Lock”: S3 for storage, CloudTrail for capture, and Object Lock for immutability—three services that together satisfy the 7-year retention and multi-account logging requirements.
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions for organizational complexity. 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. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. 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.
A company is designing a centralized logging solution for multiple AWS accounts. The solution must meet compliance requirements that logs be immutable and stored for 7 years. Which THREE services should be combined to achieve this?
AWS Glue
Why wrong: Glue is for data cataloging and ETL, not for logging.
S3 Object Lock
Prevents deletion or overwriting of logs.
AWS CloudTrail
Captures API activity logs.
Amazon S3
Stores logs durably.
Amazon Kinesis Data Streams
Why wrong: Kinesis is for real-time streaming, not long-term immutable storage.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
S3 Object Lock
S3 Object Lock is correct because it enforces a write-once-read-many (WORM) model on S3 objects, preventing any deletion or overwriting for a specified retention period. Combined with Amazon S3 for durable storage and AWS CloudTrail for logging API activity across accounts, this meets the 7-year immutability and retention compliance requirements.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AWS Glue
Why it's wrong here
Glue is for data cataloging and ETL, not for logging.
S3 Object Lock
Why this is correct
Prevents deletion or overwriting of logs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS CloudTrail
Why this is correct
Captures API activity logs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon S3
Why this is correct
Stores logs durably.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon Kinesis Data Streams
Why it's wrong here
Kinesis is for real-time streaming, not long-term immutable storage.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse Kinesis Data Streams as a storage service for logs, but it is a streaming ingestion layer with no built-in immutability or long-term retention, while Glue is mistakenly chosen for its data cataloging capabilities rather than for log storage.
Detailed technical explanation
S3 Object Lock uses either a retention period (with compliance or governance mode) or a legal hold to enforce immutability. In compliance mode, even the root user cannot delete or overwrite an object until the retention period expires, which is critical for meeting regulatory mandates like SEC 17a-4. CloudTrail delivers log files to an S3 bucket, and enabling S3 Object Lock on that bucket ensures the logs cannot be tampered with during the 7-year retention window.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — This question tests Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: S3 Object Lock — S3 Object Lock is correct because it enforces a write-once-read-many (WORM) model on S3 objects, preventing any deletion or overwriting for a specified retention period. Combined with Amazon S3 for durable storage and AWS CloudTrail for logging API activity across accounts, this meets the 7-year immutability and retention compliance requirements.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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