- A
The file is immediately readable, but only through the archive endpoint and at a higher request rate.
Why wrong: Archived blobs are not immediately readable like hot or cool data. Archive tier requires a rehydration step before normal access resumes.
- B
The file must be rehydrated to an online tier before it can be read, so access is delayed.
Archive tier is offline storage. If a job needs the blob tomorrow, the blob must first be rehydrated to an online tier such as hot or cool. Rehydration takes time, so the data is not instantly available. This is an important operational consideration when lifecycle policies move data to archive based on age.
- C
The file is permanently deleted when it enters archive, so the job must use a backup restore.
Why wrong: Archive tier does not delete the blob. The data remains stored, but it is offline and requires rehydration before normal access is restored.
- D
The file can be read immediately if the account has read-access geo-redundancy enabled.
Why wrong: Geo-redundancy affects durability and replication, not whether archive data is online. RA features do not remove the archive rehydration delay.
AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage storage. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A lifecycle rule moves blobs to the archive tier after 90 days. A file was archived 2 weeks ago, and a reporting job now needs to read it tomorrow morning. What should you expect?
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
The file must be rehydrated to an online tier before it can be read, so access is delayed.
Option B is correct because blobs in the Azure Archive tier are offline and cannot be read directly. To access the data, you must first rehydrate the blob to an online tier (Hot, Cool, or Cold) using a copy or change-tier operation, which introduces a delay (typically up to 15 hours for standard priority rehydration). The file was archived only 2 weeks ago, so it is still in the Archive tier and requires rehydration before the reporting job can read it tomorrow morning.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The file is immediately readable, but only through the archive endpoint and at a higher request rate.
Why it's wrong here
Archived blobs are not immediately readable like hot or cool data. Archive tier requires a rehydration step before normal access resumes.
- ✓
The file must be rehydrated to an online tier before it can be read, so access is delayed.
Why this is correct
Archive tier is offline storage. If a job needs the blob tomorrow, the blob must first be rehydrated to an online tier such as hot or cool. Rehydration takes time, so the data is not instantly available. This is an important operational consideration when lifecycle policies move data to archive based on age.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The file is permanently deleted when it enters archive, so the job must use a backup restore.
Why it's wrong here
Archive tier does not delete the blob. The data remains stored, but it is offline and requires rehydration before normal access is restored.
- ✗
The file can be read immediately if the account has read-access geo-redundancy enabled.
Why it's wrong here
Geo-redundancy affects durability and replication, not whether archive data is online. RA features do not remove the archive rehydration delay.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume the Archive tier is simply a 'cold' storage that can be read slowly, but in reality it is an offline tier requiring explicit rehydration, which introduces significant latency.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Archive tier uses erasure coding and stores blobs on offline tape-like media, which means data must be moved back to an online tier (Hot, Cool, or Cold) before access. The rehydration process can take up to 15 hours for standard priority or up to 1 hour for high priority (if the blob is smaller than 10 GB and the region supports it). A common real-world scenario is a compliance audit requiring access to archived logs; failing to account for rehydration time can cause job failures or SLA breaches.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-104 question test?
Implement and Manage Storage — This question tests Implement and Manage Storage — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The file must be rehydrated to an online tier before it can be read, so access is delayed. — Option B is correct because blobs in the Azure Archive tier are offline and cannot be read directly. To access the data, you must first rehydrate the blob to an online tier (Hot, Cool, or Cold) using a copy or change-tier operation, which introduces a delay (typically up to 15 hours for standard priority rehydration). The file was archived only 2 weeks ago, so it is still in the Archive tier and requires rehydration before the reporting job can read it tomorrow morning.
What should I do if I get this AZ-104 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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