Question #920
A research institution is archiving climate simulation data that will be accessed infrequently. When access is required, the data must be retrievable within 12 hours. The institution prioritizes minimizing storage costs per gigabyte.
Which Amazon S3 storage class will meet these requirements?
S3 Standard
S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval
S3 One Zone-Infrequent Access (S3 One Zone-IA)
S3 Standard-Infrequent Access (S3 Standard-IA)
Explanation
The correct answer is B. S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval. Here's why:
- Key Requirements: The institution needs low-cost storage for infrequently accessed data, with retrieval within 12 hours.
- Why B is Correct:
- Cost: S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval has the lowest storage cost per gigabyte among the options, aligning with the priority to minimize costs.
- Retrieval Time: It supports bulk retrievals (5–12 hours), which fits the 12-hour retrieval requirement.
- Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
- A. S3 Standard: Designed for frequent access with higher costs, making it unsuitable for infrequent access.
- C. S3 One Zone-IA: While cheaper than Standard-IA, it still has higher storage costs than Glacier and offers immediate retrieval, which exceeds the requirement.
- D. S3 Standard-IA: Higher storage costs than Glacier, with millisecond retrieval, which is unnecessary for the 12-hour window.
Key Points:
- Use S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval for archival data requiring retrievals within 12 hours and lowest storage costs.
- Avoid S3 Standard/IA classes if retrieval latency allowances exist, as Glacier is cheaper.
Answer
The correct answer is: B