A company stores user data in AWS.

Amazon S3 Intelligent-Tiering is the most cost-effective solution for this scenario, providing both high availability and durability while adjusting automatically to changing access patterns. It moves data across two access tiers: one optimized for frequent access and another for infrequent access, based on usage patterns. This tiering ensures that the company avoids paying for unused storage while also keeping frequently accessed data in a more accessible tier.

Key AWS references and benefits ofS3 Intelligent-Tiering:

High Durability and Availability: Amazon S3 offers 99.999999999% durability and 99.9% availability for objects stored, ensuring data is always protected.

Automatic Tiering: Data is automatically moved between tiers based on access patterns, making it ideal for workloads with unpredictable or variable access patterns.

No Retrieval Fees: Unlike S3 One Zone-IA or Glacier, there are no retrieval fees, making this more cost-effective in scenarios where access patterns vary over time.

AWS Documentation: According to the AWS Well-Architected Framework under theCost Optimization Pillar, S3 Intelligent-Tiering is recommended for storage when access patterns change over time, as it minimizes costs while maintaining availability​.