AWS Storage Gateway Cached vs Stored Volumes

SAA-C03 By islever Editorial Last updated

Determine high-performing and/or scalable storage solutions.

Short answer

B Use an AWS Storage Gateway Volume Gateway with cached volumes as iSCSI targets to store primary data in S3 while keeping frequently accessed data on-premises for low latency.

Question

A company currently stores 5 TB of data in on-premises block storage systems. The company's current storage solution provides limited space for additional data. The company runs applications on premises that must be able to retrieve frequently accessed data with low latency. The company requires a cloud-based storage solution. Which solution will meet these requirements with the MOST operational efficiency?
  1. Use Amazon S3 File Gateway. Integrate S3 File Gateway with the on-premises applications to store and directly retrieve files by using the SMB file system.
  2. Use an AWS Storage Gateway Volume Gateway with cached volumes as iSCSI targets. Correct Answer
  3. Use an AWS Storage Gateway Volume Gateway with stored volumes as iSCSI targets.
  4. Use an AWS Storage Gateway Tape Gateway. Integrate Tape Gateway with the on-premises applications to store virtual tapes in Amazon S3.

Key Takeaways

Cached volumes retain only hot data locally for speed, while stored volumes keep the full dataset on-premises, impacting capacity and operational efficiency.

Determines the optimal AWS Storage Gateway configuration for on-premises block storage integration with low-latency access to frequently accessed data.

Common mistake: Choosing Stored Volumes (C) because it preserves all data locally, ignoring the limited on-premises space and the requirement for operational efficiency via cloud offloading.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

Cached volumes store data in Amazon S3 and keep only the most recently accessed data on-premises. This architecture directly satisfies the requirement for low-latency access to frequently used data while maximizing the utility of the limited local storage space, as the bulk of the 5 TB resides in the highly scalable and durable S3 backend.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Stored volumes (Option C) keep the entire dataset on-premises and asynchronously back it up to S3; this fails the 'limited space' constraint and offers no benefit for frequent access patterns beyond what cached volumes provide. S3 File Gateway (Option A) provides file-level access via NFS or SMB, not block storage via iSCSI, making it incompatible with existing applications expecting block devices. Tape Gateway (Option D) is designed for backup/archive workflows, which does not meet the low-latency retrieval requirements for active application data.

Community Comment Notes

The majority of voters correctly identified Cached Volumes as the solution for low-latency access to a subset of data. Some learners argued for Stored Volumes, mistakenly prioritizing local data retention over the explicit constraints of limited space and operational efficiency. As one commenter noted, cached volumes ensure 'low-latency access to frequently accessed data while leveraging the scalability... for the full dataset.'

Exam Strategy

Always map the access pattern (frequent vs. infrequent) and storage constraints (local capacity vs. cloud scale) to the correct Storage Gateway mode. Use Cached for speed + cloud scale; use Stored for full local availability + backup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why not use Stored Volumes for low latency?

Stored Volumes keep the entire dataset on-premises, violating the 'limited space' constraint and offering no latency advantage over cached volumes for hot data.

Can S3 File Gateway replace block storage apps?

No, S3 File Gateway provides file-level interfaces (NFS/SMB), whereas the question requires block storage (iSCSI) compatibility for existing applications.

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Community Votes

B
80%
C
20%

80% of anonymous learners picked answer B. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 5 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 5

  1. sOI852POL 👍 10 Answered B
    Question says, "Apps must be able to retrieve frequently accessed data with low latency" so we go with cached volumes. We'd have chosen the stored volumes if question was about low-latency access to the entire dataset.
  2. viejito 👍 3
    Respuesta correcta B . Baja latencia = Elastic Cache . A , C y D no cumplen un acceso con baja latencia ( descartados ) .
  3. FlyingHawk 👍 2 Answered B
    B- Cached volumes store only the most frequently accessed data on-premises, while the full dataset is stored in Amazon S3. This ensures low-latency access to frequently accessed data while leveraging the scalability and durability of S3 for the full dataset. C - Stored volumes store the entire dataset on-premises and asynchronously back it up to AWS. This option does not address the company’s requirement for limited on-premises storage capacity.
  4. 8621a7c 👍 2 Answered C
    Block storage use volume gateway, low latency use store volumes.
  5. EllenLiu 👍 1 Answered C
    choose store volume mode

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