CV0-004 Cloud Architecture and Design Practice Question
A company wants to reduce its cloud storage costs for infrequently accessed data that must be retained for 7 years. Which two storage lifecycle policies should they implement? (Select TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA Cloud+ often tests the distinction between lifecycle policies (which automate tier transitions) and billing optimizations (like reserved capacity), leading candidates to incorrectly select reserved capacity as a lifecycle policy instead of a cost-saving commitment.
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
✓
Transition data to a lower-cost infrequent access tier after 30 days
Transitioning data to a lower-cost infrequent access tier after 30 days aligns with the requirement to reduce costs for infrequently accessed data. This lifecycle policy moves objects from a standard tier to a cheaper tier (e.g., Amazon S3 Standard-IA or Azure Cool Blob Storage) after a specified period, reducing storage costs while maintaining low-latency retrieval. Option D is correct because archiving data to cold storage after 1 year (e.g., Amazon S3 Glacier or Azure Archive Blob Storage) further reduces costs for data that is rarely accessed but must be retained for 7 years, as cold storage offers the lowest storage cost at the expense of longer retrieval times.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Move data from object storage to block storage after 30 days
Why it's wrong here
Block storage is typically more expensive and not suitable for infrequent access.
- ✗
Use reserved capacity for object storage
Why it's wrong here
Reserved capacity is for consistent usage, not lifecycle management.
- ✓
Transition data to a lower-cost infrequent access tier after 30 days
Why this is correct
Infrequent access tiers are cheaper for data accessed less often.
- ✓
Archive data to cold storage after 1 year
Why this is correct
Archive storage is the cheapest option for long-term retention.
- ✗
Delete all data older than 1 year
Why it's wrong here
Data must be retained for 7 years.
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
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