SOA-C02 Cost and Performance Optimization Practice Question

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 S3 Standard for 30 days and then transition to S3 Glacier Deep Archive.

  Why this is correct

  This is optimal because an S3 Lifecycle rule can automatically transition objects from S3 Standard, which is used during the 30-day active period when logs are written and frequently queried, to S3 Glacier Deep Archive, the lowest-cost storage class. Deep Archive is designed for long-term retention of rarely accessed data, offering 99.999999999% durability and a default retrieval time of 12 hours, which is acceptable for 7-year-old logs. This combination minimizes storage spend over the retention period while keeping the logs recoverable for compliance purposes.

• ✗

  Use S3 Standard for 7 years.

  Why it's wrong here

  Keeping logs in S3 Standard for all 7 years is wasteful because Standard is priced for frequently accessed data and has the highest per-GB storage rate of the general-purpose classes. Over 84 months, that premium storage charge accumulates far beyond the cost of transitioning to an archival class, and Standard does not automatically reduce cost as the data ages. A lifecycle policy is required to move the logs to a colder, cheaper tier after the initial 30-day period of active use.

• ✗

  Use S3 One Zone-IA for 30 days and then transition to S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval.

  Why it's wrong here

  S3 One Zone-IA is unsuitable for log archival because it stores data in only a single Availability Zone, providing only 99.5% durability, which is far below the 99.999999999% durability of Standard and Glacier classes and likely violates compliance requirements for logs. Although transitioning to Glacier Flexible Retrieval later reduces storage cost relative to One Zone-IA, Flexible Retrieval still costs more per GB than Deep Archive and incurs per-GB retrieval fees and higher minimum storage durations, making the overall long-term cost greater than the correct lifecycle combination. Additionally, One Zone-IA is intended for easily reproducible data, not critical audit logs.

• ✗

  Use S3 Intelligent-Tiering for the entire 7 years.

  Why it's wrong here

  Intelligent-Tiering automatically moves objects between access tiers, but it charges a monthly per-object automation and monitoring fee for every object, which adds up substantially over a 7-year retention period and makes it more expensive than a fixed lifecycle rule for a known access pattern. Because the logs follow a predictable timeline—frequent access for 30 days, then near-zero access—a direct transition to S3 Glacier Deep Archive avoids those recurring overhead charges. Intelligent-Tiering is best for unpredictable or fluctuating access patterns, not for data that is simply archived after one month.

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