SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
A company uses Amazon S3 to store backups. The backup process uploads objects with a prefix 'backups/' and sets the storage class to STANDARD_IA. The company wants to automatically move objects older than 30 days to GLACIER. What is the most efficient way to achieve this?
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
✓
Create an S3 Lifecycle rule that transitions objects with prefix 'backups/' to GLACIER after 30 days.
An S3 Lifecycle rule can be configured to transition objects with the prefix 'backups/' to the GLACIER storage class after 30 days. This is the most efficient and automated approach. Option A is incorrect because using AWS Lambda triggered by S3 events to change the storage class would be less efficient and more complex than a lifecycle rule. Option B is incorrect because S3 Batch Operations are designed for one-time bulk operations, not for ongoing, time-based transitions. Option D is incorrect because S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically moves objects between access tiers based on changing access patterns, but it does not automatically move objects to GLACIER after a fixed period; lifecycle rules are more appropriate for this requirement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use an AWS Lambda function triggered by S3 events to change the storage class.
Why it's wrong here
Possible but less efficient than Lifecycle rules.
- ✗
Use S3 Batch Operations to copy objects to a new bucket with GLACIER storage class.
Why it's wrong here
This is a one-time operation, not ongoing management.
- ✓
Create an S3 Lifecycle rule that transitions objects with prefix 'backups/' to GLACIER after 30 days.
Why this is correct
Lifecycle rules automate transitions based on age.
- ✗
Enable S3 Intelligent-Tiering on the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Intelligent-Tiering does not automatically move to GLACIER.
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 |
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SAP-C02 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 SAP-C02 exam.