Which S3 Storage Classes Provide Instant Access Then 10-Minute Retrievals?
Short answer
D Upload the video files to Amazon S3. Use the S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval storage class for the first 90 days. After 90 days, transition the video files to the S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval storage class.
Question
Key Takeaways
The question tests matching retrieval latency to storage classes — Glacier Instant Retrieval provides millisecond access while Glacier Flexible Retrieval takes minutes to hours — and the trap is picking Deep Archive, which cannot deliver instant access.
This DVA-C02 question requires selecting storage classes that give instant access to 2.5 TB video files for the first 90 days and then allow retrievals taking more than 10 minutes at the lowest cost. The community unanimously agrees (100% of votes) that S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval followed by S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval is the most cost-effective solution.
Common mistake: The most common wrong answer is B: choosing S3 Glacier Deep Archive for the first 90 days. Deep Archive retrievals take up to 12 hours, so it violates the instant-access requirement — the trap is focusing on 'cheapest' while ignoring the latency constraint.
Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval delivers millisecond access, satisfying the 'instant access' requirement for the first 90 days while being the cheapest storage class that offers immediate retrieval for archive data such as 2.5 TB videos. After 90 days, S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval standard retrievals typically complete in minutes to hours, which fits the requirement that files 'can take more than 10 minutes to load.' An S3 Lifecycle rule, as shown in comment [2], can automatically transition objects from GLACIER_IR at day 90 to GLACIER at day 91. Because S3 is object storage built for multi-terabyte objects with low per-GB pricing, this combination is the most cost-effective design.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A keeps EFS Standard-IA after 90 days, which still provides instant access (paying for latency you no longer need), and EFS is far more expensive than S3 for multi-TB video archives. Option B uses S3 Glacier Deep Archive for the first 90 days, but Deep Archive retrievals take up to 12 hours, so it cannot meet the instant-access requirement. Option C relies on Amazon EBS, which is block storage attached to a single instance with high per-GB cost, and there is no native lifecycle transition from EBS to S3 Glacier Deep Archive, making it operationally impractical and not cost-effective.
Community Comment Notes
The vote distribution shows 100% agreement on D, indicating strong community consensus with no dissenting answers. The top comment [1] cites the official AWS documentation on S3 Glacier storage classes, confirming the latency characteristics of Glacier Instant Retrieval versus Glacier Flexible Retrieval. Comment [2] contributes a concrete lifecycle policy JSON that transitions objects to GLACIER_IR at day 90 and GLACIER at day 91, demonstrating the practical implementation. Comment [3] simply reaffirms that 'D solution is better,' consistent with the unanimous vote.
Official Reference
- https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/glacier-storage-classes.html
- https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/lifecycle-configuration-examples.html
These links open the official vendor documentation in a new tab.
Exam Strategy
Anchor on retrieval-latency keywords before comparing price: 'instant access' maps to S3 Standard, Standard-IA, or Glacier Instant Retrieval, while 'more than 10 minutes' maps to Glacier Flexible Retrieval. Then eliminate EBS and EFS because they lack native lifecycle transitions to Glacier and cost more for multi-TB archives.
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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albert_kuo 👍 1 Answered D{ "Rules": [ { "ID": "TransitionToGlacier", "Status": "Enabled", "Filter": {}, "Transitions": [ { "Days": 90, "StorageClass": "GLACIER_IR" }, { "Days": 91, "StorageClass": "GLACIER" } ] } ] }
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xdeveloper 👍 1 Answered Dhttps://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/glacier-storage-classes.html
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tullio85 👍 1 Answered DD solution is better
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