- A
Transition objects to S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval after 90 days.
Why wrong: Glacier Flexible Retrieval has retrieval times of minutes, not milliseconds.
- B
Use S3 Glacier Deep Archive for data older than 30 days.
Why wrong: Glacier Deep Archive has retrieval times of 12 hours, not milliseconds.
- C
Use S3 Standard-IA for data that is accessed less frequently but requires millisecond retrieval.
Standard-IA offers lower storage cost and same latency as Standard.
- D
Use S3 Intelligent-Tiering to automatically move objects between access tiers.
Intelligent-Tiering monitors access patterns and moves data to lower-cost tiers, with no retrieval fees.
- E
Use S3 One Zone-IA for all data to reduce storage costs.
Why wrong: One Zone-IA is less durable and not suitable for data that cannot be re-created.
Quick Answer
The answer is to use S3 Intelligent-Tiering and S3 Standard-IA. S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically monitors access patterns and moves objects between frequent and infrequent access tiers, charging no retrieval fees for data accessed in the lower-cost infrequent access tier, while S3 Standard-IA offers a direct storage cost reduction over S3 Standard for data accessed less than once per month, both maintaining the same millisecond retrieval latency. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to balance cost optimization with performance requirements, specifically avoiding traps like S3 One Zone-IA (which sacrifices durability) or Glacier tiers (which sacrifice retrieval speed). A common memory tip is to remember that if you need to reduce S3 storage cost for infrequent access with millisecond retrieval, you must keep the data in the Standard family—Intelligent-Tiering or Standard-IA—never in Glacier or One Zone. Think "milliseconds mean Standard family only."
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Which TWO strategies can reduce the cost of storing infrequently accessed data in Amazon S3 while maintaining millisecond retrieval latency? (Choose two.)
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
Use S3 Standard-IA for data that is accessed less frequently but requires millisecond retrieval.
Options A and D are correct. A: S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically moves data to lower-cost tiers when access patterns change, with no retrieval cost for infrequent access. D: S3 Standard-IA provides lower storage cost than Standard with the same latency. Option B is wrong because S3 One Zone-IA is less durable and not recommended for important data. Option C is wrong because S3 Glacier Deep Archive has retrieval times in hours, not milliseconds. Option E is wrong because S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval has retrieval times in minutes to hours.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Transition objects to S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval after 90 days.
Why it's wrong here
Glacier Flexible Retrieval has retrieval times of minutes, not milliseconds.
- ✗
Use S3 Glacier Deep Archive for data older than 30 days.
Why it's wrong here
Glacier Deep Archive has retrieval times of 12 hours, not milliseconds.
- ✓
Use S3 Standard-IA for data that is accessed less frequently but requires millisecond retrieval.
Why this is correct
Standard-IA offers lower storage cost and same latency as Standard.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- ✓
Use S3 Intelligent-Tiering to automatically move objects between access tiers.
Why this is correct
Intelligent-Tiering monitors access patterns and moves data to lower-cost tiers, with no retrieval fees.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- ✗
Use S3 One Zone-IA for all data to reduce storage costs.
Why it's wrong here
One Zone-IA is less durable and not suitable for data that cannot be re-created.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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Design for New Solutions — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use S3 Standard-IA for data that is accessed less frequently but requires millisecond retrieval. — Options A and D are correct. A: S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically moves data to lower-cost tiers when access patterns change, with no retrieval cost for infrequent access. D: S3 Standard-IA provides lower storage cost than Standard with the same latency. Option B is wrong because S3 One Zone-IA is less durable and not recommended for important data. Option C is wrong because S3 Glacier Deep Archive has retrieval times in hours, not milliseconds. Option E is wrong because S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval has retrieval times in minutes to hours.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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.
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