AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question
A legal department keeps signed contract scans in a blob container. The files are almost never opened, but when a reviewer requests one, it must be available later the same day and then stay online for about three days while the review is completed. The team wants the lowest ongoing storage cost during that review window. What should the administrator do?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often think Archive blobs can be directly downloaded or that changing replication settings makes archived data accessible, but in reality, Archive blobs must be explicitly rehydrated to an online tier before any read operation is possible.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Rehydrate the blob to the Cool tier with standard priority
Rehydrating the blob from Archive to the Cool tier with standard priority meets the requirement of making the file available later the same day (standard priority rehydration completes within 1–15 hours) and provides the lowest ongoing storage cost during the three-day review window, as Cool tier is cheaper than Hot tier for data that is infrequently accessed.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Leave the blob in Archive and download it directly when needed
Why it's wrong here
Blobs in the Archive access tier are physically offline and their data is not immediately available for read or download; any request to read an archived blob will fail with an HTTP error until the blob is rehydrated to Hot or Cool. Rehydration involves changing the tier and can take up to 15 hours with standard priority, or about 1 hour with high priority, so attempting to download an archived blob directly is not possible without first performing this step. This is by design to minimize storage cost for data that is rarely accessed.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question required immediate access to a blob that is rarely accessed and the cost of rehydration was not a concern, or if the blob was already in the Archive tier and the access pattern allowed for a one-time retrieval with no need for cost optimization during the access period.
- ✓
Rehydrate the blob to the Cool tier with standard priority
Why this is correct
Rehydrating to Cool makes the blob online again while keeping read costs lower than Hot for a short-term review period. Standard priority is appropriate when the request can wait several hours and does not require expedited restoration. This choice balances availability and cost for a blob that will be accessed briefly and infrequently.
- ✗
Copy the blob to the Hot tier permanently before the review starts
Why it's wrong here
Copying the blob to the Hot tier before the review would make it online, but Hot is optimized for frequent access and carries the highest storage cost among hot, cool, cold, and archive tiers. Yet the legal team only needs brief, infrequent access during a short review period; permanently keeping the blob in Hot would incur ongoing costs for no long-term benefit. Using Cool for temporary rehydration is more cost-effective, as it offers lower storage cost while still allowing the blob to be read, and you can move it back to Archive or Cold afterward.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question required the lowest latency for access and the files were accessed frequently (e.g., multiple times per day) over a long period, then storing permanently in Hot tier would be correct to avoid rehydration delays and costs.
- ✗
Change the storage account replication to GZRS to make archived data readable
Why it's wrong here
Changing replication to geo-zone-redundant storage (GZRS) only affects durability and availability of stored data across fault domains and regions; it does not alter the blob's access tier. An archived blob remains offline in the Archive tier regardless of replication setting, so it still requires rehydration to an online tier before it can be read or downloaded. Furthermore, switching replication may itself involve copying data and cannot be used as a shortcut to make archived data instantly accessible.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The AZ-104 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Rehydrate the blob to the Cool tier with standard priorityCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Rehydrating to Cool makes the blob online again while keeping read costs lower than Hot for a short-term review period. Standard priority is appropriate when the request can wait several hours and does not require expedited restoration. This choice balances availability and cost for a blob that will be accessed briefly and infrequently.
✗Leave the blob in Archive and download it directly when neededWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Direct download from Archive tier is not supported; the blob must be rehydrated first, which incurs additional cost and delay, and does not achieve the lowest ongoing storage cost during the review window.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question required immediate access to a blob that is rarely accessed and the cost of rehydration was not a concern, or if the blob was already in the Archive tier and the access pattern allowed for a one-time retrieval with no need for cost optimization during the access period.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that Archive tier is the cheapest storage and assume direct download is possible, overlooking the fact that Archive tier blobs are offline and must be rehydrated before access.
✗Copy the blob to the Hot tier permanently before the review startsWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Moving the blob to the Hot tier permanently incurs higher storage costs during the 3-day review window compared to rehydrating to Cool tier, which is sufficient for the access pattern and cheaper.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question required the lowest latency for access and the files were accessed frequently (e.g., multiple times per day) over a long period, then storing permanently in Hot tier would be correct to avoid rehydration delays and costs.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may assume that Hot tier is always the best for any access, overlooking that Cool tier is cheaper and adequate for infrequent access with a short retention window.
Analysis generated from the official AZ-104blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Quick reference
Azure Blob Storage Tier Comparison
| Tier | Storage Cost | Retrieval Cost | Latency | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot | Highest | Lowest | Immediate | Active data, frequent reads |
| Cool | Lower | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / month |
| Cold | Lower still | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / quarter |
| Archive | Lowest | Highest + rehydration delay | Hours | Long-term compliance retention |
Go deeper
Related to this question
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Key term
Cool tier
Cool tier is a low-cost, online-only storage access tier in Microsoft Azure Blob Storage designed for data that is infrequently accessed and stored for at least 30 days.
Key term
Hot tier
Hot tier is a storage category used for data that is accessed frequently and needs fast retrieval, typically stored on high-performance hardware like SSDs.
About these practice questions
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on AZ-104
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Based on the exhibit, what should you do so the report can open the file tomorrow morning?
medium- ✓ A.Change the blob to the Hot access tier and allow it to rehydrate before the report runs.
- B.Change the blob to the Cool access tier only, because Cool is always immediately readable.
- C.Create a snapshot of the archived blob and use the snapshot instead.
- D.Enable versioning on the storage account so the file becomes readable again.
Why A: The blob is currently in the Archive access tier, which requires manual rehydration (changing the tier to Hot or Cool) before it can be read. Rehydration can take up to 15 hours, so changing the blob to the Hot access tier now and allowing it to complete rehydration before the report runs tomorrow ensures the file is available for reading.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This AZ-104 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the AZ-104 exam.