Explanation

Correct Answer: D - AWS Storage Gateway Volume Gateway cached volumes

Why this is correct:

1. Cached volumes keep only frequently accessed data locally on-premises while storing the complete dataset in Amazon S3.
2. This matches the requirement: "only its recently accessed data to remain stored locally."
3. Cached volumes help minimize the need to scale on-premises iSCSI storage because only a subset of data is stored locally.
4. The primary data store is in AWS (Amazon S3), with local storage acting as a cache.

Why other options are incorrect:

A. Amazon S3 File Gateway - This provides file-based access to Amazon S3 through NFS or SMB protocols, but doesn't provide iSCSI block storage access that the company needs for their application servers.

B. AWS Storage Gateway Tape Gateway - This is for backup/archive scenarios, presenting virtual tape libraries to backup applications, not for primary storage access via iSCSI.

C. AWS Storage Gateway Volume Gateway stored volumes - This stores the entire dataset locally on-premises and asynchronously backs it up to AWS. This would NOT minimize on-premises storage needs since all data is stored locally.

Key AWS Storage Gateway types comparison:

• Volume Gateway (cached volumes): Primary data in S3, frequently accessed data cached locally
• Volume Gateway (stored volumes): Primary data stored locally, backed up to AWS
• File Gateway: File-based access to S3 via NFS/SMB
• Tape Gateway: Virtual tape library for backup applications

This solution allows the company to maintain iSCSI access for their application servers while reducing their on-premises storage footprint.