CDS CDS Data Lifecycle Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the key difference between data archiving and data backup?
- Backups are encrypted; archives are not
- Archives store current data; backups store historical data
- Backups support disaster recovery; archives support long-term retention and retrieval (Correct answer)
- Archives are stored on-premises; backups are always cloud-based
Correct answer: Backups support disaster recovery; archives support long-term retention and retrieval
Backups are designed for rapid restoration after failure, while archives preserve data for long-term retention, compliance, and occasional retrieval.
Question 2: A data steward discovers that a dataset scheduled for deletion under the retention policy is subject to a legal hold. What is the correct action?
- Delete the data as scheduled since policy takes precedence
- Suspend the retention schedule and preserve the data until the hold is lifted (Correct answer)
- Archive the data immediately to reduce storage costs
- Anonymize the data before deletion to satisfy both requirements
Correct answer: Suspend the retention schedule and preserve the data until the hold is lifted
Legal holds override standard retention schedules; data must be preserved intact until the legal hold is formally released.
Question 3: Which concept describes the practice of minimizing the amount of data collected to only what is strictly necessary for a defined purpose?
- Data normalization
- Data minimization (Correct answer)
- Data deduplication
- Data masking
Correct answer: Data minimization
Data minimization is a privacy-by-design principle that limits data collection to what is adequate, relevant, and necessary for the stated purpose.
Question 4: In the context of data lifecycle management, what is 'information asset register' used for?
- Recording hardware inventory of servers storing data
- Cataloging data assets with their classification, owner, retention period, and disposal rules (Correct answer)
- Tracking software licenses for data tools
- Logging access events for audit purposes
Correct answer: Cataloging data assets with their classification, owner, retention period, and disposal rules
An information asset register inventories all data assets with metadata about ownership, sensitivity, retention, and disposal, enabling lifecycle governance.
Question 5: Which storage tier is most appropriate for data that is rarely accessed but must be retained for 7+ years for regulatory compliance?
- Hot storage (SSD-backed)
- Warm storage (standard HDD)
- Cold/archival storage (tape or deep archive) (Correct answer)
- In-memory cache
Correct answer: Cold/archival storage (tape or deep archive)
Cold or archival storage tiers offer the lowest cost for infrequently accessed data retained solely for compliance over long periods.
Question 6: What is the purpose of a 'data destruction certificate' in a data lifecycle program?
- To authorize a data steward to create new datasets
- To provide auditable proof that data was disposed of in accordance with policy (Correct answer)
- To certify that a dataset has passed quality validation
- To grant third-party access to archived records
Correct answer: To provide auditable proof that data was disposed of in accordance with policy
A data destruction certificate documents the method, date, and scope of disposal, providing a compliance record that data was properly destroyed.
CDS CDS Data Lifecycle Management 2
What is the key difference between data archiving and data backup?