Most Cost-Effective S3 Storage Class for Mixed Access Patterns
Short answer
D S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically optimizes costs for data with varying access frequencies like daily and yearly usage.
Question
Key Takeaways
Tests the ability to match access frequency requirements with S3 storage classes, specifically highlighting the trap of choosing low-cost archival tiers for frequently accessed data.
Determines the optimal Amazon S3 storage class for data with mixed access frequencies (daily vs. yearly) to minimize costs. The analysis confirms that Intelligent-Tiering automatically optimizes costs based on usage patterns.
Common mistake: Choosing S3 Glacier Deep Archive is a common mistake because it is the cheapest option, but it has high retrieval times and costs that make it unsuitable for daily access.
Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
S3 Intelligent-Tiering is designed for data with unknown or unpredictable access patterns. It automatically moves objects between frequent and infrequent access tiers without performance impact or extra fees. Since the engineer accesses some data daily (frequent) and some yearly (infrequent), this service dynamically optimizes costs for both subsets.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
S3 Standard is too expensive for yearly data. S3 One Zone-IA lacks durability across multiple AZs and still incurs higher costs than IA tiers for the yearly portion if not managed manually. S3 Glacier Deep Archive requires minutes to hours for retrieval, making it impossible for daily access needs.
Community Comment Notes
The community overwhelmingly voted for D, noting that 'Unknown access patterns' drive the choice toward Intelligent-Tiering. One user suggested C, but failed to account for the daily access requirement which makes IA less optimal than auto-tiering for mixed workloads.
Official Reference
https://aws.amazon.com/s3/storage-classes/
This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.
Exam Strategy
Always check access frequency first. If patterns are known and static, choose the specific tier (e.g., IA, Glacier). If patterns vary or are unknown, Intelligent-Tiering is usually the most cost-effective automated solution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn't S3 One Zone-IA better for yearly data?
Can I use Glacier Deep Archive for the yearly part?
Community Votes
100% of anonymous learners picked answer D. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Discussion 3 contributions
Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.
From public community threads 3
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alokdixit2006 👍 1 Answered DS3 Intelligent-Tiering: Unknown access patterns (access some of the data yearly and some of the data daily)
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d00b229 👍 1C. S3 One Zone-Infrequent Access (S3 One Zone-IA)
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ShaiTay 👍 2 Answered DD. S3 Intelligent-Tiering
Reader comments & corrections
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