SOA-C02 Reliability and Business Continuity Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
```
Resources:
MyBucket:
Type: AWS::S3::Bucket
Properties:
VersioningConfiguration:
Status: Enabled
LifecycleConfiguration:
Rules:
- Id: DeleteOldVersions
Status: Enabled
NoncurrentVersionExpirationInDays: 30
```Refer to the exhibit. A SysOps administrator creates a CloudFormation stack with the template shown. After 30 days, what happens to noncurrent versions of objects in the bucket?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to assume noncurrent versions are automatically transitioned to cheaper storage classes like Glacier or S3 Standard-IA, but without explicit transition actions in the lifecycle rule, only expiration (deletion) occurs.
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
✓
They are permanently deleted.
The CloudFormation template configures an S3 bucket with a lifecycle rule that sets 'NoncurrentVersionExpirationInDays' to 30. This rule permanently deletes noncurrent versions of objects after 30 days, as S3 lifecycle policies for noncurrent versions do not transition to other storage classes unless explicitly specified with a separate transition action. After 30 days, the noncurrent versions are removed from the bucket entirely.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
They are permanently deleted.
Why this is correct
An S3 Lifecycle expiration rule for noncurrent versions explicitly deletes those versions after the specified number of days, regardless of the storage class. Because the rule only includes an Expiration action and no Transition action, old versions are permanently removed from the bucket rather than being archived or moved. Once permanently deleted, these objects cannot be recovered, so it is critical to have a backup or a separate replication rule if you need to preserve them.
- ✗
They are moved to Amazon S3 Glacier.
Why it's wrong here
The lifecycle rule does not contain a Transition action to Amazon S3 Glacier; it only defines Expiration for noncurrent versions. Without that transition, S3 will simply expire and irrevocably delete the older versions instead of archiving them to Glacier for long-term storage. Therefore, the statement that they are moved to Glacier is incorrect because expiration is a deletion, not an archival operation.
- ✗
They become the current version.
Why it's wrong here
Expiring noncurrent versions through a lifecycle rule does not promote an older version to become the current version; the current version remains intact until an explicit delete or restore is performed. Noncurrent versions are removed from the bucket, and the version history is shortened, but the active object is unchanged. Thus, the premise that they 'become the current version' is false because deletion is not a promotion.
- ✗
They are moved to Amazon S3 Standard-Infrequent Access.
Why it's wrong here
To move objects to S3 Standard-Infrequent Access you must define a Transition action with that StorageClass in the lifecycle policy. Since the current rule only specifies expiration for noncurrent versions, S3 will not transfer those versions to Standard-IA before deleting them. The versions are expired directly and permanently removed, so the suggestion that they are moved to S3 Standard-IA is incorrect.
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
Related to this question
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on SOA-C02
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Refer to the exhibit. A SysOps administrator deployed the CloudFormation template. Which statement is true about data protection?
hard- A.Deleted objects are immediately and permanently removed.
- B.The bucket cannot be deleted by anyone.
- C.Objects cannot be deleted from the bucket.
- ✓ D.Deleted objects become noncurrent versions and are retained for 30 days.
Why D: The CloudFormation template likely configures an S3 bucket with versioning enabled and a lifecycle policy that transitions noncurrent versions to the 'ExpiredObjectDeleteMarker' or retains them for a specified period. By default, when versioning is enabled, deleted objects are not permanently removed but become noncurrent versions, and the lifecycle rule can be set to permanently delete these noncurrent versions after 30 days, as indicated in the template.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SOA-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 SOA-C02 exam.