Amazon S3 is designed for what primary purpose?

Amazon S3, or Simple Storage Service, is designed primarily for storing and retrieving data. It provides a scalable, high-speed, web-based cloud storage solution that allows users to store any amount of data and access it from anywhere through the web. S3 is often used for backup and recovery, data archiving, big data analytics, and as a content distribution network by allowing users to deliver static web content, images, and videos quickly.

The fundamental capabilities of S3 revolve around its object storage model, where data is stored in the form of objects within buckets. Each object is identified by a unique key, enabling easy access and management of the stored data. The service also supports various features such as data versioning, lifecycle management, and cross-region replication, further enhancing its utility for data storage and retrieval.

The other options focus on different aspects of cloud services. Running web applications typically involves AWS services such as Elastic Beanstalk or EC2, which are designed for application hosting. Managing container workloads would relate to services like Amazon ECS or EKS. Monitoring application health is usually handled by services like Amazon CloudWatch. These services serve distinct purposes and do not center around the core function of storing and retrieving data as Amazon S3 does.