Best S3 Storage Class Lifecycle for Low-Cost, Infrequently Accessed Data

Answer: B.

On analyzing the scenario carefully, we can see here that data is infrequently accessed for the first 6 months & is then archived for long term storage.

Option A is incorrect since it is not advisable to store data in S3 Standard that is not frequently accessed.

S3 standard will incur higher costs for this scenario.

Option B is CORRECT.

S3 One Zone IA offers the best cost-effective solution for infrequently accessed data.

Since the lowest cost is desired here, we can overlook the resilience model offered by High Availability storage solutions.

After six months, data can be moved to Glacier for archival purposes.

Option C is incorrect.

S3 Standard IA is more cost-effective than its S3 standard counterpart for infrequently accessed data.

But we do not select it as the best available option compared to the pricing of S3 One Zone IA, which offers a 20% subsidized cost compared to S3 Standard IA.Option D is incorrect because Glacier offers a way to store archival data rather than storing it for frequent/infrequent access.

Also, expedited retrieval costs are greater (0.03 per GB) than the S3 One Zone IA cost which is 0.01 per GB.References:

https://aws.amazon.com/s3/storage-classes/ https://aws.amazon.com/s3/pricing/ https://youtu.be/wYclDu6GhkU

The most cost-effective storage solution for data that is not frequently accessed is to use S3 storage classes. S3 provides several storage classes, each with different costs, durability, availability, and retrieval time characteristics. The choice of storage class depends on the access patterns and retention requirements of the data.

In this scenario, the data needs to be immediately available for the first six months but not accessed frequently afterward, requiring historical retention. Therefore, we need a storage class that can provide immediate access for the first six months and then move to a lower cost, less frequently accessed storage class that can maintain the data for historical purposes.

Option A: Store data for the first 6 months in S3 Standard & move data to Glacier after that.

S3 Standard is designed for frequently accessed data and provides low latency, high throughput, and high durability. It is the most expensive storage class and not suitable for data that is infrequently accessed. Therefore, this option is not the best choice for this scenario.

Option B: Store data the first 6 months in S3 One Zone - IA & move data to Glacier after that.

S3 One Zone - IA is a cost-effective storage class that provides low-cost, infrequently accessed storage for data that can be recreated if lost. It stores data in a single availability zone, which means it is less durable than S3 Standard or S3 Standard-IA. Therefore, it is not suitable for data that requires high durability. Additionally, S3 One Zone - IA is not designed for long-term storage, so it is not suitable for historical retention. Therefore, this option is not the best choice for this scenario.

Option C: Store data the first 6 months in S3 Standard IA & move data to Glacier after that.

S3 Standard-IA is designed for infrequently accessed data that requires immediate access when needed. It provides the same low latency and high throughput as S3 Standard but at a lower cost. S3 Standard-IA has a minimum storage duration of 30 days, which means that data must be stored for at least 30 days to avoid early deletion fees. After six months, the data can be moved to a lower-cost storage class like Glacier, which provides long-term, low-cost storage for data that is rarely accessed. Therefore, this option is the best choice for this scenario.

Option D: Store data in Glacier & use expedited retrieval for accessing data immediately.

Glacier is a low-cost storage class designed for long-term, infrequently accessed data. It provides high durability and low cost but has a longer retrieval time than S3 Standard or S3 Standard-IA. Expedited retrieval can be used to retrieve data within minutes, but it incurs additional fees. Therefore, this option is not the best choice for this scenario, as the data needs to be immediately available for the first six months, and using Glacier would result in a longer retrieval time and higher costs.

In conclusion, the best S3 storage class lifecycle available for this scenario is to store data in S3 Standard-IA for the first six months and move the data to Glacier after that to maintain historical retention.