Question #993
A developer is designing a medical imaging storage system for a hospital. The imaging files average 3 TB each. The system must provide immediate access to the files for the first 60 days. After 60 days, the files can take up to 12 hours to retrieve. Which solution meets these requirements MOST cost-effectively?
Store the files in Amazon EFS Standard storage for the first 60 days, then transition to EFS Standard-Infrequent Access (Standard-IA).
Upload the files to Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive initially. After 60 days, transition to S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval.
Use Amazon EBS volumes for the first 60 days, then move the files to S3 Glacier Deep Archive.
Upload the files to Amazon S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval for the first 60 days, then transition to S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval.
Explanation
Option D is correct because:
- S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval offers immediate access (millisecond retrieval) with lower storage costs than S3 Standard, satisfying the immediate access requirement for the first 60 days.
- After 60 days, transitioning to S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval allows retrievals within 3–5 hours (well within the 12-hour limit) at a lower cost than Glacier Instant Retrieval.
Other options fail because:
- A (EFS): EFS is designed for shared file systems and is more expensive than S3 Glacier options for large, infrequently accessed files.
- B (Glacier Deep Archive initially): Deep Archive has a 48-hour retrieval time, violating the immediate access requirement for the first 60 days.
- C (EBS + Deep Archive): EBS is costly for large static files, and Deep Archive’s 48-hour retrieval exceeds the 12-hour limit.
Key Points:
- Use S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval for immediate access needs with cost savings.
- Transition to lower-cost tiers like Glacier Flexible Retrieval after access frequency decreases.
- Avoid EBS/EFS for large, archival data due to higher costs.
Answer
The correct answer is: D