To ensure data durability for S3-based storage used by a data lake, which set of features should be enabled?

• A. Enable versioning, MFA delete, cross-region replication, and lifecycle policies.
• B. Enable only server-side encryption.
• C. Enable Transfer Acceleration and object tagging.
• D. Disable replication.

Answer: (A)

Protecting data durability in an S3-based data lake benefits from multiple safeguards that preserve data and enable recovery in different scenarios. Enabling versioning ensures every object has a history, so overwrites or accidental deletions don’t permanently erase data—you can restore previous versions if something goes wrong. MFA delete adds an extra layer of protection by requiring multi-factor authentication for delete operations, making it much harder for destructive actions to occur even if credentials are compromised. Cross-region replication creates a copy of objects in a separate AWS region, providing geographic redundancy so a regional outage or disaster doesn’t wipe out the data. Lifecycle policies automate retention and storage transitions, helping ensure data is kept appropriately and stored in durable storage tiers while managing deletions to align with retention requirements.

The other options don’t provide the same level of durability. Encrypting data at rest protects confidentiality but not recoverability after a deletion or overwrite. Features like Transfer Acceleration and object tagging organize and speed up access but don’t enhance durability. Disabling replication removes the extra protection offered by geographic redundancy.