Which S3 Storage Solution Meets Call Transcript Retrieval Requirements?
Design cost-optimized storage solutions.
Determine high-performing and/or scalable storage solutions.
Answer
Correct answer: C — Use S3 Standard with search metadata for fast first-year retrieval, then S3 Lifecycle to Glacier Instant Retrieval after one year.
A company stores call transcript files on a monthly basis. Users access the files randomly within 1 year of the call, but users access the files infrequently after 1 year. The company wants to optimize its solution by giving users the ability to query and retrieve files that are less than 1-year-old as quickly as possible. A delay in retrieving older files is acceptable. Which solution will meet these requirements MOST cost-effectively?
Community Insight
The exam tests whether you can separate hot-year retrieval speed from long-term archive cost; the trap is assuming S3 Intelligent-Tiering always preserves instant access even after its automatic archive transitions.
This question tests cost-effective Amazon S3 storage tiering for call transcripts that need fast random retrieval for one year and infrequent access afterward. The page establishes that keeping files in S3 Standard with search metadata and transitioning them to S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval after 12 months (C) best balances speed and cost.
Many candidates choose B because S3 Intelligent-Tiering sounds ideal for random access, but its automatic tiering and Athena-over-transcripts plus Glacier Select path add complexity and cost without cleanly enforcing the one-year fast-retrieval boundary.
Community Discussion (114 comments)
Moaaz_elmahi
👍 1
Selected: C
answer b not correct as we know the access pattern of data, i see answer c is the correct answer..
dontCarexxx
👍 1
Selected: B
B however deprecated : these questions need some updating ! Source: https://aws.amazon.com/fr/blogs/storage/how-to-optimize-querying-your-data-in-amazon-s3/
MultipleWorkerMirroredStrategy
👍 1
Selected: C
To me, it's C because B violates "by giving users the ability to query and retrieve files that are less than 1-year-old as quickly as possible".
Clouddon
👍 1
Selected: B
Option B provides cost optimization, query capability, and low-latency access for recent files, with acceptable latency for older data, all with minimal operational effort—making it the best choice for this use case.
c12ab95
👍 2
Selected: B
Why Option B Works Best: First Year (Active Access): S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically shifts objects between Frequent and Infrequent Access tiers, reducing costs by ~40% if access declines. Athena queries data directly in S3, avoiding retrieval fees for active tiers. After 1 Year (Infrequent Access): Lifecycle policies transition data to Glacier Flexible Retrieval, which supports Glacier Select for SQL-based partial retrievals (avoids restoring entire files). Cost savings: Flexible Retrieval is cheaper than S3 Standard-IA and allows expedited (1–5 min) or bulk (5–12 hr) retrievals. Query Flexibility: Recent files (<1 year) are queried via Athena with millisecond latency. Older files (>1 year) use Glacier Select to retrieve subsets of data, minimizing retrieval costs and time.
sammo08
👍 1
Selected: B
Option A Incorrect – S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval is more expensive than necessary for frequently accessed files, and tag-based querying is inefficient. Option C Incorrect – Using S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval after 1 year is more expensive than needed, and storing metadata in S3 is less efficient than Athena. Option D Incorrect – S3 Glacier Deep Archive has long retrieval times, and maintaining metadata in RDS adds extra costs. Option B Correct – S3 Intelligent-Tiering optimizes costs, and S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval balances cost with acceptable retrieval delays, while Athena and S3 Glacier Select enable efficient queries.
dariar
👍 1
Selected: B
The B and C are both good options, but since Athena is free for use with S3, it definitely the B-option. Athena queries data directly from Amazon S3. There are no additional storage charges for querying your data with Athena.
ricktechie66
👍 1
Selected: C
This solution best meets the requirements while being cost-effective because: 1. Initial storage in S3 Standard: Provides the fastest access for files less than 1 year old, meeting the requirement for quick retrieval of newer files 2. Metadata storage in S3 Standard: Enables efficient querying and searching of files without additional database costs 3. Lifecycle policy to S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval: Provides cost optimization for older files while still maintaining relatively quick retrieval when needed.
Rohan_Butala
👍 1
Selected: B
Option B strikes the right balance between cost-effectiveness and performance, ensuring that frequently accessed data is easily retrievable and older data is archived at lower cost with fast retrieval options for both new and older data.
_adoo
👍 3
If you are like me and thought Athena would make this cost-inefficient: Athena is free for s3 querying. It has a cost per TB for SQL Queries. And a different cost for Apache apps. https://aws.amazon.com/athena/pricing/
JonesNick
👍 1
Keyword : MOST cost-effectively Athena is great tool for analyzing data in S3. But it comes with the cost. So answer is C.
jatric
👍 2
Selected: B
cost effective to retrieve the file of 1 year or less. Standard S3 is more cost effective than intelligent tiering.
344bba0
👍 5
Selected: C
The answer is C. Intelligent tiering may not guarantee frequent, but random access and fast searches within a year. Athena is a great analysis solution, but it is an unnecessary cost for search purposes only.
mknarula
👍 2
Answer is C. The only difference between choice B and C is Glacier Storage class. The question states clearly that "giving users the ability to query and retrieve files that are less than 1-year-old as quickly as possible". This is possible via instant retrieval and not flexible retrieval.
PaulEkwem
👍 2
Hey, don't be rude
ManikRoy
👍 1
Selected: B
option B is the only one that mentions use of Amazon Athena and Glacier select for querying, So I'll go with it though I would have preferred using S3 standard storage in place of S3 intelligent tiering for the first year.
hro
👍 1
Answer is C - unfortunately. S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval - MOST Cost effective deep storage for retrieving files as quickly as possible.
LIORAGE
👍 1
Selected: B
B is good answer: Athena is good option to query data in S3. And before 1 year data are randomly use, for this, intelligent tiering is good option.
chickenmf
👍 1
Selected: C
The company wants to optimize its solution by giving users the ability to query and retrieve files that are less than 1-year-old as quickly as possible" -- What if S3 Intelligent-Tiering transitioned the data that's under 1 year old into a storage class that takes a long time to access?
dsshahu01
👍 1
Selected: C
The answer is C S3 standard for first part (intelligent tiering is much better and cost-effective) glacier instant retrieval because of the statement after an year needs to retrieved as soon as possible) Also why ruling out B is because of Athena - it becomes expensive if data is retrieved using it after scanning all the data in glacier per request.
awsgeek75
👍 2
Selected: B
A: It does not account for random pattern of first year C: "Store search metadata for each archive in Amazon S3 Standard storage"... this part is wrong for me. Storing metadata forever in S3 so that it can be queries? This is why I won't select it. D: RDS is costly for storage and query just to know where your S3 object is. B is correct as Intelligent Tiering takes care of random frequency in first year in most cost effective way. Older object will end up in S3 glacier with flexible retrieval so cost effective. Athena doesn't care where your object is (s3 standard, IA or Glacier) and queries work.
bujuman
👍 1
Selected: B
According to the fact that S3 Std, Std-IA and One Zone-IA are Higher cost, frequent access storage classes and the fact that S3 Intelligent-Tiering is an additional storage class that provides flexibility for data with unknown or changing access patterns. It automates the movement of your objects between storage classes to optimize cost. Plus the requirement for MOST cost-effective solution, Answer B seems to be the right solution
JTruong
👍 1
If you watch Stephen Mareek's Udemy SSA video - anything after 1 year has to go with Amazon Athena
upliftinghut
👍 1
Selected: C
C is the most cost-effective given no Athena and the archive files don't need instant access. A delay is acceptable
upliftinghut
👍 1
quite tricky because B has better cost with flexible retrieval for files after 1 year. If counting in operation overhead then C is better. For cost-optimized, B can probably be better. Tricky question then
fb4afde
👍 2
Selected: C
I picked "B" first, then switched to "C" because it asks for MORE cost-effective = Athena might be pricey: however: Access Patterns: If your data access patterns are predictable and consistent, and you do not require automatic tiering based on access frequency, S3 Standard might be a straightforward and cost-effective choice. Variable Access Patterns: If your data access patterns are variable or unpredictable, and you want automatic cost optimization based on access frequency, S3 Intelligent-Tiering might provide cost savings.
wantu
👍 2
Selected: B
os usuarios acceden a los archivos de forma aleatoria. S3 Intelligent-Tiering es la clase de almacenamiento ideal para datos con patrones de acceso desconocidos, cambiantes o impredecibles, independientemente del tamaño del objeto o el período de retención. Puede utilizar S3 Intelligent-Tiering como clase de almacenamiento predeterminada para prácticamente cualquier carga de trabajo, especialmente lagos de datos, análisis de datos, nuevas aplicaciones y contenido generado por el usuario.
xogete
👍 1
Selected: C
i think B would be for least operation overhead, but C only uses S3 which would make it most cost effective, no?
wabosi
👍 2
Selected: B
I vote for B, key points to me are: "randomly within 1 year" my mind goes to intelligent-tiering "A delay in retrieving older files is acceptable" my mind goes to Glacier Flexible Retrieval after 1 year because they don't need it immediately "MOST cost-effectively" there are no retrieval charges in S3 intelligent-tiering storage, on top of this Glacier Flexible Retrieval is cheaper than Glacier Instant Retrieval, if they accept retrieval time in 5 – 12 hours, bulk is free
SAA463
👍 1
I think the answer is C is cost effective
ACloud_Guru15
👍 1
Selected: C
Considering the cost-effective solution that meets the requirements, option B (Store individual files in Amazon S3 Intelligent-Tiering, use S3 Lifecycle policies to move the files to S3 Glacier after 1 year, query and retrieve the files that are in Amazon S3 by using Amazon Athena, and query and retrieve the files that are in S3 Glacier by using S3 Glacier Select) seems to be the most appropriate. It ensures efficient access to recent and infrequently accessed files, while also managing costs effectively.
tom_cruise
👍 1
Selected: B
I think the reason C is the correct answer is because it is cheaper than B; and the question is asking the MOST cost effective solution.
Wayne23Fang
👍 1
Selected: C
I m on "C" camp. It is hard to beat S3 solution for Cost-effective. C ) uses only S3 not other cost like Athena or RDB. The other comment below to support (C) are reasonable like ssoffline's.
Visinho
👍 1
Are you not going to pay for Athena usage?
awashenko
👍 1
Selected: B
So for me it came down to B and D. I choose B because of this statement "Users access the files randomly within 1 year of the call" Had it said they access the files all the time on a regular basis for the first year, I would have went with D but because they access those files at random I think B is the better choice.
awashenko
👍 1
Although, now that I'm thinking about it. S3 is cheaper than RDS so C would have been the better choice if that statement wasn't there.
ABS_AWS
👍 2
Correct answer is C As B has got Athena mentioned which is not fit as per question.
👍 1
Selected: B
"For archive data that needs immediate access, such as medical images, news media assets, or genomics data, choose the S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval storage class, an archive storage class that delivers the lowest cost storage with milliseconds retrieval. For archive data that does not require immediate access but needs the flexibility to retrieve large sets of data at no cost, such as backup or disaster recovery use cases, choose S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval (formerly S3 Glacier), with retrieval in minutes or free bulk retrievals in 5-12 hours." https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2021/11/amazon-s3-glacier-instant-retrieval-storage-class/
benacert
👍 1
B is the right answer..
Wayne23Fang
👍 1
Selected: C
The question is about Cost-effective. Athena search of S3 is probably too much. It cost at least 2.5 times of simple S3 Sql query.
Syruis
👍 4
Selected: C
C and not B just because Athena will be costly.
Yonimoni
👍 1
Exactly what i thought
Guru4Cloud
👍 2
Selected: B
I would recommend option B. The key reasons are: S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically moves files between frequent and infrequent access tiers based on actual access patterns, optimizing cost. Lifecycle policies can move older files to Glacier Flexible Retrieval after 1 year, which has higher latency and lower cost than S3. Athena allows querying the metadata of files in S3 without retrieving the files themselves. Glacier Select can directly query files in Glacier without needing to restore the entire file.
TariqKipkemei
👍 2
Selected: B
Users access the files randomly = Amazon S3 Intelligent-Tiering Users access the files infrequently = S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval Ability to query files as quickly as possible = Amazon Athena, S3 Glacier Select
miki111
👍 1
Option B is the right answer.
RupeC
👍 1
Selected: B
As S3 Intelligent-Tiering, you can define rules that determine when objects should be moved from the frequent access tier to the infrequent access tier, or vice versa, within S3 Standard storage classes that move, could be set to 12 months.
VitaminNmineral
👍 3
Selected: B
I asked ChatGPT In conclusion, C is possible, but C is not cost-effective. Both options B and C can meet the requirements, but option B with S3 Intelligent-Tiering may provide more cost savings as it optimizes storage costs based on access patterns, automatically moving files to the most appropriate tier. However, if the priority is primarily on fast retrieval times for files less than 1-year-old and the cost difference is not a significant concern, option C with Amazon S3 Standard storage and S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval can be a valid and cost-effective choice as well.
cookieMr
👍 3
Selected: B
Option A would not optimize the retrieval of files less than 1-year-old, as the files would be stored in S3 Glacier, which has longer retrieval times compared to S3 Intelligent-Tiering. Option C adds complexity by involving two storage classes and may not provide the most cost-effective solution. Option D would require additional infrastructure with RDS for storing metadata and retrieval from S3 Glacier Deep Archive, which may not be necessary and could incur higher costs. Option B is the most suitable and cost-effective solution for optimizing file retrieval based on the access patterns described. Amazon S3 Intelligent-Tiering is a storage class that automatically moves objects between two access tiers: frequent access and infrequent access, based on their access patterns. By storing the files in S3 Intelligent-Tiering, the files less than 1-year-old will be kept in the frequent access tier, allowing for quick retrieval.
HassanYoussef
👍 1
Selected: B
The answer is (B) because of the random access on files and the query service needed is Athena.
pentium75
👍 4
C involves moving "the files to S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval" which is not cost-effective since "a delay in retrieving older files is acceptable."
IngenieriaEGlobal
👍 7
The Answer is B. S3 Intelligent-Tiering stores objects in two access tiers: one tier that is optimized for frequent access and another lower-cost tier that is optimized for infrequent access. For a small monthly monitoring and automation fee per object, S3 Intelligent-Tiering monitors access patterns and moves objects that have not been accessed for 30 consecutive days to the infrequent access tier. There are no retrieval fees in S3 Intelligent-Tiering. If an object in the infrequent access tier is accessed later, it is automatically moved back to the frequent access tier. No additional tiering fees apply when objects are moved between access tiers within the S3 Intelligent-Tiering storage class. S3 Intelligent-Tiering is designed for 99.9% availability and 99.999999999% durability, and offers the same low latency and high throughput performance of S3 Standard
RupeC
👍 2
With S3 Intelligent-Tiering, you can define rules that determine when objects should be moved from the frequent access tier to the infrequent access tier, or vice versa, within S3 Standard storage classes.
ruqui
👍 3
For all of you that (incorrectly, in my opinion) select Answer B: you are forgetting that an object is moved to Deep Archive access after 180 days of inactivity (here's the link with the details: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/intelligent-tiering-overview.html) Considering the above, it could happen that an object is required after day 180 of the first year, in that case the object is not immediately reachable, so one of the requirements are not met. The correct answer should the C
Itsume
👍 2
It says: "before your specified number of days of no access ("for example", 180 days)" so this number of days is just an example. Also the files are to be deleted one year after being made and this would keep the files for a specified time after the last use which means that if they are used within that year it would be saved for more than the intended year. Therefore, b is correct.
Abrar2022
👍 1
Random> unpredictable> Intelligent-tiering
oiccic99
👍 1
But it says that for the first year, access must be instant, so it can't be intelligent tiering, because if he moves do deep archive before 1 year, you can't access instantly the resource
pbpally
👍 4
Selected: B
Key notes here: 1. "...randomly within 1 year of the call,.." Randomly = unpredictable -> Intelligent Tiering 2. "but users access the files infrequently after 1 year" coupled with "retrieve files that are less than 1-year-old as quickly as possible. A delay in retrieving older files is acceptable" -> Glacier Flexible Retrieval (has options for expedited = 1-5 minutes, standard = 3-5 hours, and bulk = 5-12 hours). Last but not least is "giving users the ability to QUERY". Query = Athena. It's literally a serverless query service to analyze data stored explicitly in S3.
Rahulbit34
👍 1
Access file randomly - triggers the option or Intelligent tiering. Glacier is for achievable and Athena for quick queries. Answer is B.
cheese929
👍 1
Selected: C
S3 Intelligent-Tiering is the ideal for data with irregular access pattern. Since the requirement here states that files older that 1 year is retrieve infrequently (the pattern is fixed), there is no need to use S3 Intelligent-Tiering, S3 Standard is more suitable. And data more than 1 year can be moved to S3 glacier. In addition, answer C uses search metadata when storing the data, this allows the files to be retrieve as quickly as possible when required. Thus answer should be C.
TheAbsoluteTruth
👍 2
Selected: B
La opción B parece ser la solución más rentable para cumplir con los requisitos de la empresa. Al almacenar los archivos en Amazon S3 Intelligent-Tiering, se pueden utilizar las políticas de ciclo de vida para mover los archivos a S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval después de 1 año, lo que permite ahorrar costos de almacenamiento a largo plazo. Para acceder a los archivos que se encuentran en Amazon S3, se puede utilizar Amazon Athena, lo que permite una recuperación rápida y eficiente de los archivos que tienen menos de 1 año. Para acceder a los archivos que se encuentran en S3 Glacier, se puede utilizar S3 Glacier Select, lo que permite la recuperación de datos selectiva y reduce los costos de recuperación. Esta solución también es escalable, lo que significa que puede manejar grandes volúmenes de datos y un alto número de usuarios.
channn
👍 1
Selected: B
Key word 'durable' for a intelligent-tiering. Athena for S3 query.
linux_admin
👍 1
Selected: B
Option B, Store individual files in Amazon S3 Intelligent-Tiering, is a cost-effective solution as it automatically moves objects between four access tiers (frequent, infrequent, archive, and deep archive) based on changing access patterns and automatically optimizes costs for the company. The S3 Lifecycle policies can be used to move files to S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval after 1 year, which has a retrieval time of minutes to hours. Amazon Athena can be used to query and retrieve files that are still in S3 Intelligent-Tiering, and S3 Glacier Select can be used to query and retrieve files that have been moved to S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval.
jaswantn
👍 1
"As quickly as possible" is the key point for retrieval of files which are less than 1 year old. So, Option C is the answer.
trungtranqn912023
👍 1
" S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval after 1 year." the data after 1 year not require quick access . So it more expensive and not fit with requirement
boringtangent
👍 3
bro u r forgetting cost effectiveness which is the requirement 1 yr in s3 standard will cost more than s3 intelligent tire.
Steve_4542636
👍 1
Selected: B
I originally thought C but changed my mind to B. Intelligent tiering will always only move object to object storage classes with milliseconf latency https://aws.amazon.com/s3/storage-classes/ I was originally concerned a file would go to some storage class after several months but before a year to a storage class with higher latency but that is not the case.
user_deleted
👍 7
I disagree with B, it says clearly access are less than 1-year-old as quickly as possible, use intelligent, if a data is not accessed after 3 months it will be moved to archive then you lose this requirement.
Andrew123123
👍 7
Selected: C
C is correct. B does not make any sense because the company want to grant users the ability to retrieve and query the files that are "less than one year old as quickly as possible." Intelligent-tiering moves files that have been unassessed for 30 days to S3-IA, 90 days to S3 Glacier, and 180 days to S3 Glacier Deep Archive. This is problematic because Glacier and Glacier Deep Archive both have high retrieval times.
Andrew123123
👍 1
Edit: 90 days to Glacier Instant Access.
lofzee
👍 1
Helps to read sometimes
CarlosMarin
👍 1
It syas "... access the files INFREQUENTLY after 1 year"
killbots
👍 12
it doesnt say predictable, it says files are accessed random. Random = Unpredictable. Answer is B
BlueVolcano1
👍 3
Selected: B
Option B. S3 Intelligent-Tiering seems best as files are accessed randomly in the first year. After 1 year, a delay in retrieving files is acceptable, so it makes sense to move them to Glacier Flexible Retrieval after 1 year. Archives can be restored for free from there using the bulk option. To query and retrieve files, S3 Select/Glacier Select and Athena are best suited and cheap, as you only pay for what you use. A: Instant Retrieval is not the most cost-effective for the requirement, as requirements say a delay in retrieving files older than 1 year is acceptable. C: Same as A - Instant Retrieval is not the most cost-effective solution for the requirements. D: It's unnecessary to use RDS to query files when you have S3 Select, Glacier Select, Athena and Redshift Spectrum, all allowing you to query S3/Glacier, at varying levels of complexity.
JohnnyBG
👍 7
Selected: D
I would go against the majority and select D on this one. This is the most cost effective. Using S3 intelligent tiering is more costly and the delay to retrieve is acceptable.
SilentMilli
👍 1
Selected: B
To meet these requirements in a cost-effective manner, the company can store individual files in Amazon S3 Intelligent-Tiering. Amazon S3 Intelligent-Tiering is a storage class that automatically moves data to the most cost-effective storage tier based on access patterns. By storing the files in Amazon S3 Intelligent-Tiering, the company can ensure that the files that are less than 1 year old are quickly and easily accessible to users, while still optimizing costs by automatically moving older files to a lower-cost storage tier. The company can use S3 Lifecycle policies to move the files to S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval after 1 year. To query and retrieve the files, the company can use Amazon Athena to query and retrieve the files that are in Amazon S3, and S3 Glacier Select to query and retrieve the files that are in S3 Glacier.
QueTeddyJR
👍 2
Selected: B
The answer is B because flexible retrival.
pazabal
👍 1
Selected: B
B, most cost-effective storage tier based on usage patterns (compared to the others here). Frequently accessed files within first year will remain in Standard (fast access), whereas infrequently accessed files after first year will move to Glacier Flexible retrieval tier. Lifecycle policy will automate the transition after 1 year. Athena allows you to analyze data stored in S3 with SQL, so it can be used along w Select (queries data stored in S3 glacier) to retrieve only the necessary data. A, Data needs to be accessed within minutes, not for infrequent access after 1 year. C, More expensive D, More expensive
Maru86
👍 1
I don't agree Re: D not meeting the requirements for fast retrieval of files. Option D has S3 Standard storage, according to aws "Access to the object: Milliseconds". As well as "moving objects from other tiers into S3-Intelligent Tearing is expensive: it costs $0.01 to transition 1,000 objects, which can add up quickly if you've got a lot of objects to transition." Option D is the most cost effective solution.
Buruguduystunstugudunstuy
👍 2
Selected: B
CORRECT Option B is the most cost-effective solution for meeting the requirements described. In Option B, the files are stored in Amazon S3 Intelligent-Tiering, which automatically moves infrequently accessed data to a lower-cost storage tier based on usage patterns. This means that the files that are accessed frequently within the first year will be stored in the most efficient storage tier, while files that are not accessed as frequently can be moved to a lower-cost tier after 1 year. Option B also uses S3 Lifecycle policies to move the files to S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval after 1 year, which allows the company to store the files at a lower cost while still being able to retrieve them within a reasonable amount of time. The files can be queried and retrieved from S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval using S3 Glacier Select, which allows for efficient querying of data stored in S3 Glacier.
Buruguduystunstugudunstuy
👍 2
In comparison--- Option A stores the files in S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval, which is a storage tier that is optimized for fast retrieval of data. This option may not be as cost-effective because it requires the data to be stored in a more expensive storage tier, even if it is not accessed frequently. Option C stores the files in S3 Standard storage and moves them to S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval after 1 year, which is a similar approach to Option A and may not be as cost-effective. Option D stores the files in S3 Standard storage and moves them to S3 Glacier Deep Archive after 1 year, which is the lowest-cost storage tier but may not meet the requirement for fast retrieval of files that are less than 1 year old.
Nandan747
👍 1
Selected: B
Query the data NOT metadata, so Athena with S3 intelligent tiering suits the requirement.
Anny_Me
👍 2
I think C is correct. "retrieve files that are less than 1-year-old as quickly as possible" hence Amazon S3 Standard is the correct one. S3 standard has 99.99% availability, and S3 Intelligent-Tiering has 99.9% availability. Details is here: https://aws.plainenglish.io/aws-s3-different-types-of-storage-types-available-in-s3-3550e0b87580
Idriss10
👍 1
Users access the files randomly so B
JayBee65
👍 1
One point worth noting is that the question specified querying the files, not the file metadata, which makes C and D probably wrong
RBSK
👍 2
Selected: C
I choose C
Incognito013
👍 1
Selected: B
B - Keyword "Random"
hpipit
👍 1
Selected: B
B is the correct and best choice
9014
👍 1
Selected: B
of course the answer is a B
Wajif
👍 2
Selected: B
Between B and C I will choose B because it gives a way to query the file data using Athena. There is no way given in C to query the file but just the ability to retreive.
ocbn3wby
👍 2
Selected: C
https://aws.amazon.com/s3/pricing/ A: S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval* - For long-lived archive data accessed once a quarter with instant retrieval in milliseconds While the users access the files randomly (not specified once/quarter) - Answer A does not fit. B: When we are talking about S3 Intelligent Tiering - this is the most cost effective. However, Glacier Select defeats the purpose: it's focused on extracting data FROM a bigger file and not the file itself. https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/s3-glacier-select/ D: Involves RDS, increases the cost. Not much difference between Deep archive and instant retrieval (D vs C). I'd go for C.
JayBee65
👍 2
I'm not sure what you mean by your definition of Glacier Select, but the link you specify says "Glacier Select.. Most legacy archival solutions, like on premise tape libraries, have highly restricted data retrieval throughput and are unsuitable for rapid analytics or processing. If you want to make use of data stored on one of those tapes you might have to wait for weeks to get useful results. In contrast, cold data stored in Glacier can now be easily queried within minutes. This unlocks a lot of exciting new business value for your archived data. Glacier Select allows you to to perform filtering directly against a Glacier object using standard SQL statements." This is what is required, so makes B the correct answer...
RBSK
👍 2
I do go for C. B - Not correct in my opinion, Athena and Glacier Select are meant for Big Data retrieval and read part of the file instead of complete object. In this case its Call transcript and B is not relevant
Wpcorgan
👍 1
B is correct
pepgua
👍 1
B is correct because it's the most cost effective solution overall for random access (S3 Intelligent-tiering) for first year AND cheaper option for S3 Glacier storage classes after one year (Glacier-flexible is cheaper than Glacier Instant)
hollie
👍 1
I don't think S3 Glacier can do metadata search. Thus B is more reasonable.
grzeev
👍 1
Selected: B
S3 Intelligent-Tiering is the first cloud object storage class that delivers automatic cost savings by moving data between two access tiers — frequent access and infrequent access — when access patterns change, and is ideal for data with unknown or changing access patterns
Adrianjavier
👍 1
Selected: B
B for sure
AbhiJo
👍 2
Flexible tiering wins
mabotega
👍 1
Selected: B
https://aws.amazon.com/pt/blogs/aws/s3-glacier-select/
KADSM
👍 1
Answer should be C only.: Reasons: File should be accessed as quickly as possible within 1 year. S3 Standard may be the choice. Overall solution should be cost efficient A -> Uses Glacier Instant retreival but the put/get costs are more than S3 standard. B -> Uses Intelligent tiering which may have overhead cost for intelligently doing the tiers. Glacier flexible retreival may have additional costs D -> Ruled out - they are using RDS which may incur additional costs compared to other options.
JayBee65
👍 1
C only allows the file metadata to be queried but the users need to be able to query files, so how can it be correct? Glacier Select allows queries against the files themselves.
17Master
👍 1
Selected: B
S3 Intelligent-Tiering + Glacier Flexible Retrieval is more cost-effective.
SimonPark
👍 1
The answer looks B
BoboChow
👍 2
Selected: C
A: you need to distinguish the storage within one year. B:Select is not an archive retrieval option C:seems like right D:Querying the files from Amazon RDS is not a good choice
BoboChow
👍 1
I changed my mind. Compared to Glacier Instant Retrieval, Glacier Flexible Retrieval is more cost-effective.
Kikiokiki
👍 3
NOTE:"A delay in retrieving older files is acceptable." "For archive data that needs immediate access, such as medical images, news media assets, or genomics data, choose the S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval storage class, an archive storage class that delivers the lowest cost storage with milliseconds retrieval. For archive data that does not require immediate access but needs the flexibility to retrieve large sets of data at no cost, such as backup or disaster recovery use cases, choose S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval (formerly S3 Glacier), with retrieval in minutes or free bulk retrievals in 5-12 hours." https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2021/11/amazon-s3-glacier-instant-retrieval-storage-class/
123jhl0
👍 3
Selected: A
I think this is a bit tricky, as you have to pay attention to the sum of costs related at each answer: A: S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval for all storage (>1yo & +1yo) B: S3 Intelligent Tiering (>1yo storage) + S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval (+1yo storage) + Amazon Athena + S3 Glacier Select !!! C: S3 Standard (>1yo storage) + S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval (+1yo storage) D: S3 Standard (>1yo storage) + S3 Glacier Deep Archive (+1yo storage) + Amazon RDS Based on this, I'd choose A, but not sure I can retrieve files by tags... If it's not possible, then the cheapest after A is C.
BadouBoy
👍 1
I think its D. Could you please check re-again this question and explain to me ?
masetromain
👍 45
Selected: B
I think the answer is B: Users access the files randomly S3 Intelligent-Tiering is the ideal storage class for data with unknown, changing, or unpredictable access patterns, independent of object size or retention period. You can use S3 Intelligent-Tiering as the default storage class for virtually any workload, especially data lakes, data analytics, new applications, and user-generated content. https://aws.amazon.com/fr/s3/storage-classes/intelligent-tiering/
MutiverseAgent
👍 3
Agree, S3 Intelligent-Tiering meets all the requirements. The very important/crucial consideration here to satisfy that all files withing a year are instantly accessible is that the two options "Archive Access" and "Deep Archive Access" are not enabled in the "Archive rule actions" section present in the "Intelligent-Tiering Archive configurations" of the bucket. Those options are not enabled by default so this answer will work.
ssoffline
👍 7
Answer is C, why not intelligent Tiering If the Intelligent-Tiering data transitions to Glacier after 180 days instead of 1 year, it would still be a cost-effective solution that meets the requirements. With files stored in Amazon S3 Intelligent-Tiering, the data is automatically moved to the appropriate storage class based on its access patterns. In this case, if the data transitions to Glacier after 180 days, it means that files that are infrequently accessed beyond the initial 180 days will be stored in Glacier, which is a lower-cost storage option compared to S3 Standard.
sachin
👍 6
What about if the file you have not accessed 360 days and intelligent tier moved the file to Glacier and on 364 day you want to access the file instantly ? I think C is right choice
habibi03336
👍 2
It says "S3 Intelligent-Tiering is the ideal storage class for data with unknown, changing, or unpredictable access patterns". However, the statement says access pattern is predictable. It says there is frequent access about 1year.
Lilibell
👍 12
The answer is B
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
Option C uses S3 Standard for the first year, which gives millisecond, no-retrieval-fee access for the random queries inside the one-year window. It also keeps search metadata in S3 Standard, so the company can find the right transcript without scanning every file with Athena. After 12 months, S3 Lifecycle moves the transcripts to S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval, which cuts storage cost for infrequently accessed older files while still allowing retrieval. The metadata remains available for lookup, and the overall design avoids the per-object monitoring fees and automatic early archive transitions of Intelligent-Tiering. This best satisfies both fast retrieval for current files and the most cost-effective long-term storage.Why the Other Options Are Wrong
A is wrong because putting all files, including actively queried first-year transcripts, in Glacier Instant Retrieval incurs retrieval fees and 90-day minimum storage charges; it is not cost-effective for random frequent access. B sounds plausible because Intelligent-Tiering handles unpredictable access, but it can move objects to lower tiers after 30, 90, or 180 days, and the Athena-over-transcripts plus Glacier Select path is more complex and expensive than metadata lookup. D uses the cheapest archive tier for older files, but storing search metadata in Amazon RDS adds database cost and management overhead, and querying metadata from RDS is not as S3-native or cost-efficient as keeping metadata in S3 Standard. None of these matches the one-year hot window as cleanly as C.Community Comment Notes
Several learners, including masetromain and killbots, backed B, with killbots arguing "Random = Unpredictable" and treating Intelligent-Tiering as the natural fit. Andrew123123 and sachin pushed back on that logic, pointing out that Intelligent-Tiering can move unaccessed files into S3-IA or Glacier tiers before the full year, which would undermine the fast-retrieval requirement. JohnnyBG preferred D for raw archive cost, but the RDS metadata component makes that choice harder to defend on total cost. 344bba0 summarized the C case well: Intelligent-Tiering may not guarantee fast random access within a year, while Athena can be an unnecessary cost for simple search. These comments mirror the exam's core trade-off between automated tiering and a controlled one-year S3 Standard window.Official Reference
Exam Strategy
Map each option to the one-year boundary: the first year needs millisecond retrieval, so avoid archive-only or auto-archive tiers unless the option explicitly controls the transition. Then check the query mechanism; metadata in S3 is cheaper and simpler than Athena scans over transcripts or an RDS metadata database.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't S3 Intelligent-Tiering guarantee the one-year fast retrieval window?
Intelligent-Tiering can move objects to infrequent or archive tiers after 30, 90, or 180 days; optional archive tiers may add retrieval latency, so it doesn't cleanly enforce a one-year hot window.
Why keep search metadata in S3 Standard rather than Amazon RDS?
Metadata is small and S3-native, so storing it in S3 Standard avoids RDS instance and management costs while still enabling fast lookup before the lifecycle transition.
Related Analysis
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