Which S3 storage class is designed for long-term archival storage with longer retrieval times?

The S3 Glacier storage class is specifically designed for long-term archival storage of data that is infrequently accessed. It is optimized for cost efficiency, making it an ideal choice for storing large volumes of data that does not need to be retrieved on a regular basis. One of the key characteristics of S3 Glacier is its longer retrieval times compared to other S3 storage classes. When you need to access your data stored in S3 Glacier, you can choose from various retrieval options, each with different costs and retrieval times. This makes S3 Glacier suitable for data archiving, such as backups or compliance data that must be retained for a certain period but is not frequently accessed.

In contrast, other storage classes like S3 Standard are designed for frequently accessed data, while S3 Intelligent-Tiering is meant for data with changing access patterns, and S3 Standard-IA (Infrequent Access) is for data that is accessed less often but requires rapid access when needed. These storage classes do not offer the same cost efficiency and longer retrieval times that characterize S3 Glacier, reinforcing the latter's suitability for long-term archival requirements.