SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
Which TWO strategies can reduce the cost of storing infrequently accessed data in Amazon S3 while maintaining millisecond retrieval latency? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse storage classes with retrieval latency, assuming that any 'Glacier' or 'Archive' class can provide millisecond retrieval, when in fact only S3 Standard, S3 Standard-IA, S3 One Zone-IA, and S3 Intelligent-Tiering (with frequent/infrequent tiers) offer that latency.
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.
S3 Standard-IA (Infrequent Access) is designed for data accessed less frequently but still requires millisecond retrieval latency, making it a cost-effective choice for infrequently accessed data without sacrificing performance. Option D is correct because S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically moves objects between access tiers (e.g., from S3 Standard to S3 Standard-IA) based on changing access patterns, optimizing costs while maintaining millisecond latency for frequently accessed data.
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.
- ✓
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.
- ✗
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.
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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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.