S3 Intelligent-Tiering Default vs Deep Archive for Millisecond Retrieval

DEA-C01 By islever Editorial Last updated Oct 12, 2026

Manage the lifecycle of data.

Short answer

D Use S3 Intelligent-Tiering with the default access tier to automatically optimize costs while ensuring millisecond retrieval for rarely accessed data.

Question

A company stores petabytes of data in thousands of Amazon S3 buckets in the S3 Standard storage class. The data supports analytics workloads that have unpredictable and variable data access patterns. The company does not access some data for months. However, the company must be able to retrieve all data within milliseconds. The company needs to optimize S3 storage costs. Which solution will meet these requirements with the LEAST operational overhead?

Use S3 Storage Lens standard metrics to determine when to move objects to more cost-optimized storage classes. Create S3 Lifecycle policies for the S3 buckets to move objects to cost-optimized storage classes. Continue to refine the S3 Lifecycle policies in the future to optimize storage costs.
Use S3 Storage Lens activity metrics to identify S3 buckets that the company accesses infrequently. Configure S3 Lifecycle rules to move objects from S3 Standard to the S3 Standard-Infrequent Access (S3 Standard-IA) and S3 Glacier storage classes based on the age of the data.
Use S3 Intelligent-Tiering. Activate the Deep Archive Access tier.
Use S3 Intelligent-Tiering. Use the default access tier. Correct Answer

Key Takeaways

The question tests the specific retrieval latency guarantees of S3 Intelligent-Tiering tiers; the common trap is selecting Deep Archive for lower cost without realizing it violates the millisecond retrieval requirement.

This page analyzes how to optimize S3 storage costs while maintaining millisecond retrieval times, establishing that the default access tier of S3 Intelligent-Tiering is the correct solution compared to Deep Archive.

Common mistake: Many learners select Option C (Deep Archive) because it offers the lowest storage cost, failing to recognize that Deep Archive retrieval takes hours and does not meet the 'milliseconds' constraint.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

Option D is the correct answer because S3 Intelligent-Tiering with the default access tier automatically moves data to an "Archive Instant Access" tier after 90 days of no access. This tier provides millisecond retrieval times at a significantly lower cost than S3 Standard, satisfying both the cost optimization and performance requirements with zero operational overhead.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Option C activates the Deep Archive Access tier, which is designed for long-term archival where retrieval can take 12 hours or more, directly violating the millisecond retrieval requirement. Options A and B involve manual lifecycle policies or standard-IA/Glacier configurations, which introduce operational overhead and may not guarantee the same level of automation or performance consistency as Intelligent-Tiering's default behavior.

Community Comment Notes

Community consensus heavily favored Option D, with many users noting that while Deep Archive is cheaper, it fails the latency test. As user GiorgioGss noted, "Although C is more cost-effective... must be able to retrieve all data within milliseconds will go with D." Another user, rpwags, emphasized that "Glacier Deep Archive... typically takes 12 hours or more," confirming why C is incorrect despite its popularity among those prioritizing cost over speed.

Official Reference

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/intelligent-tiering-overview.html

This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

Always prioritize the explicit performance constraints (like 'milliseconds') over pure cost savings when choosing between storage classes. If a question demands instant access, eliminate any Glacier or Deep Archive options immediately, even if they seem more cost-effective.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is S3 Intelligent-Tiering Deep Archive wrong for this question?

Deep Archive requires 12+ hours for retrieval, violating the millisecond requirement. Only the default tier's Archive Instant Access tier supports instant retrieval.

Does S3 Intelligent-Tiering have operational overhead?

No, it is fully automated. It monitors access patterns and moves objects between tiers without any manual intervention or lifecycle policy management.

More DEA-C01 FAQ →

Community Votes

100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer D. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 12 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 12

GiorgioGss 👍 12 Answered D

Although C is more cost-effective, because of "must be able to retrieve all data within milliseconds" will go with D
rpwags 👍 3 Answered D

Staying with "D"... The Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive storage class is designed for long-term data archiving where data retrieval times are flexible. It does not offer millisecond retrieval times. Instead, data retrieval from S3 Glacier Deep Archive typically takes 12 hours or more. For millisecond retrieval times, you would use the S3 Standard, S3 Standard-IA, or S3 One Zone-IA storage classes, which are designed for frequent or infrequent access with low latency.
rralucard_ 👍 3 Answered D

Option D, using S3 Intelligent-Tiering with the default access tier, will meet the requirements best. It provides a hands-off approach to storage cost optimization while ensuring that data is available for analytics workloads within the required timeframe.
arvehisa 👍 2

The correct answer may be D. Intelligent tiering's default access tier is: 1. accessed less than 30 days: frequent access tier 2. not accessed in 30-90 days: Infrequent Access tier 3. not accessed more than 90 days: Archive Instant Access tier Other tiers require more retrieve time need activation. https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/intelligent-tiering-overview.html
helpaws 👍 2 Answered C

Amazon S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval is an archive storage class that delivers the lowest-cost storage for long-lived data that is rarely accessed and requires retrieval in milliseconds

Show 7 more comments

andrologin 👍 2 Answered D

Based on this docs https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/intelligent-tiering-overview.html D will be appropriate as it allows for instant retrieval
Felix_G 👍 1

Option C. Use S3 Intelligent-Tiering. Activate the Deep Archive Access tier. By using S3 Intelligent-Tiering and activating the Deep Archive Access tier, the company can optimize S3 storage costs with minimal operational overhead. S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically moves objects between four access tiers, including the Deep Archive Access tier, based on changing access patterns and cost optimization. This eliminates the need for manual lifecycle policies and constant refinement, as the storage class is adjusted automatically based on data access patterns, resulting in cost savings while ensuring quick access to all data when needed.
chris_spencer 👍 1 Answered C

C is correct. "Amazon S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval is an archive storage class that delivers the lowest-cost storage for long-lived data that is rarely accessed and requires retrieval in milliseconds." https://aws.amazon.com/s3/storage-classes/glacier/instant-retrieval/
kj07 👍 1

A few remarks: Data should be retrieved in ms. This means all the options with Glacier are wrong: BC For D how you can set the S3 intelligent-Tiering if the current class is Standard? I guess you need a lifecycle policy. Which leaves only A as an option. Thoughts?
Christina666 👍 2 Answered D

least operation overhead, D
raghumvj 👍 2 Answered D

I am confused with C or D
damaldon 👍 1

D. is correct

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