- A
Keep the blobs in the Hot tier and rely on lifecycle rules to delete them after 90 days.
Why wrong: Hot tier is unnecessary for rarely accessed archives and does not minimize storage cost.
- B
Move the blobs to the Archive tier and use high-priority rehydration when a file is requested.
Archive is the correct storage tier when the files are rarely accessed and cost reduction is the priority. Archived blobs are offline, so they cannot be read immediately. However, if auditors need one file later the same day, the administrator can initiate rehydration. High-priority rehydration is the best choice when faster access is needed for a specific archived blob and the team is willing to pay for the quicker retrieval path.
- C
Move the blobs to the Cool tier because it is offline until accessed.
Why wrong: Cool is still an online tier, so it is not the same as Archive and does not match the offline restore behavior described.
- D
Use the Cold tier because it requires a rehydration job before the blob becomes readable.
Why wrong: Cold is an online tier and does not require rehydration; archived data is the tier that must be rehydrated first.
AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage storage. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 records team stores monthly regulatory exports in a blob container. The files are rarely opened, but auditors may request one specific file later the same day. The team wants the lowest storage cost possible while keeping a path to restore a single file on demand. Which approach should you use?
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
Move the blobs to the Archive tier and use high-priority rehydration when a file is requested.
The Archive tier offers the lowest storage cost for rarely accessed data, and high-priority rehydration allows a single file to be restored within approximately one hour, meeting the auditor's same-day request requirement. This approach minimizes cost while retaining the ability to retrieve a specific file on demand.
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.
- ✗
Keep the blobs in the Hot tier and rely on lifecycle rules to delete them after 90 days.
Why it's wrong here
Hot tier is unnecessary for rarely accessed archives and does not minimize storage cost.
- ✓
Move the blobs to the Archive tier and use high-priority rehydration when a file is requested.
Why this is correct
Archive is the correct storage tier when the files are rarely accessed and cost reduction is the priority. Archived blobs are offline, so they cannot be read immediately. However, if auditors need one file later the same day, the administrator can initiate rehydration. High-priority rehydration is the best choice when faster access is needed for a specific archived blob and the team is willing to pay for the quicker retrieval path.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Move the blobs to the Cool tier because it is offline until accessed.
Why it's wrong here
Cool is still an online tier, so it is not the same as Archive and does not match the offline restore behavior described.
- ✗
Use the Cold tier because it requires a rehydration job before the blob becomes readable.
Why it's wrong here
Cold is an online tier and does not require rehydration; archived data is the tier that must be rehydrated first.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the Archive tier's offline nature with the Cool or Cold tiers, or assume that the lowest storage cost must come from an online tier, ignoring that Archive's rehydration feature still allows on-demand retrieval at a higher retrieval cost but lower overall storage expense.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Blob Storage Archive tier has a storage cost roughly 80% lower than Hot tier, but blobs are offline and require a rehydration operation to the Hot or Cool tier before reading. High-priority rehydration typically completes within one hour, while standard rehydration can take up to 15 hours, making high-priority essential for same-day auditor requests. The Archive tier also has a minimum storage duration of 180 days, but early deletion penalties are irrelevant if the data is retained long-term.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
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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: Move the blobs to the Archive tier and use high-priority rehydration when a file is requested. — The Archive tier offers the lowest storage cost for rarely accessed data, and high-priority rehydration allows a single file to be restored within approximately one hour, meeting the auditor's same-day request requirement. This approach minimizes cost while retaining the ability to retrieve a specific file on demand.
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.
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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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