Cloud Digital Leader Google Cloud Products and Services Practice Question
An organization needs to store archival data that must be retained for 10 years for compliance. Access to this data is expected to be less than once a year, and retrieval can take up to 24 hours. Which Cloud Storage class is the MOST cost-effective for this data?
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
✓
Archive storage class
Archive storage is the lowest-cost class designed for long-term preservation with retrieval times in hours.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Coldline storage class
Why it's wrong here
Coldline is for data accessed less than once a quarter.
- ✗
Nearline storage class
Why it's wrong here
Nearline is for data accessed less than once a month.
- ✓
Archive storage class
Why this is correct
Archive is the cheapest, designed for data accessed less than once a year, with retrieval times up to 24 hours.
- ✗
Standard storage class
Why it's wrong here
Standard is for frequently accessed data and is more expensive.
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
Learn chapter
Cloud Digital Transformation
Key term
Data
Data is raw, unprocessed information, like numbers, words, or measurements, that can be stored, processed, and analyzed by computers.
Key term
General Data Protection Regulation
A European Union law that gives individuals control over their personal data and sets strict rules for how organizations collect, store, and process that data.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This GCDL practice question is part of Courseiva's free Google Cloud 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 GCDL exam.