AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question
A team moved blob data to the Archive tier to minimize cost. They now need to restore a few files for an audit. Which two statements are true about accessing archived blobs? Select two.
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates assume archived blobs can be read immediately or that tier changes are instant, confusing the Archive tier's offline state with the online Cool or Hot tiers.
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
✓
Rehydration is required before the blob can be read or copied.
Archived blobs are in an offline state and cannot be read or copied directly. They must first be rehydrated to an online tier (Hot or Cool) through a process that changes the blob's tier or copies it to a new online blob. This rehydration process is asynchronous and takes time, depending on the priority set.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Archived blobs can be read immediately through normal blob reads.
Why it's wrong here
Because archive storage is deliberately offline, a normal blob read request will not return the blob's content immediately. Instead, the service will respond with an HTTP 409 error (condition BlobArchived), signaling that rehydration is required first. Only after rehydration is complete will standard read operations succeed.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question were about blobs in the Cool or Hot access tier, then normal blob reads would work immediately without rehydration.
- ✓
Rehydration is required before the blob can be read or copied.
Why this is correct
Archive blobs are stored offline, so their data content is not accessible on standard storage nodes. Any read or copy operation that accesses the blob's content — such as a download, Get Blob, or Copy Blob — will fail with an archive-related error until rehydration has been performed. Rehydration moves the blob back to an online tier, making it readable or copyable.
- ✓
Rehydration can target Hot or Cool access tier.
Why this is correct
When you initiate rehydration via the Set Blob Tier or Copy Blob operation, you can explicitly set the destination tier to either Hot or Cool, depending on projected access frequency. Hot is best for data expected to be accessed frequently, while Cool is more cost-effective for occasional reads. This flexibility allows you to balance latency and storage cost after archive retrieval.
- ✗
Archive tier provides the fastest retrieval time.
Why it's wrong here
Archive has the slowest retrieval behavior of all access tiers because it is offline and requires a rehydration step lasting minutes to hours. Hot tier provides immediate read access, and Cool tier provides slightly higher latency than Hot but still online. Therefore, Archive is designed for long-term, infrequent access, not fast retrieval.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question asked 'Which tier provides the lowest storage cost for infrequently accessed data?' then Archive tier would be correct because it is the cheapest storage tier.
- ✗
Changing a blob from Archive to Hot completes instantly and synchronously.
Why it's wrong here
Tier changes from Archive to Hot are asynchronous, not instantaneous or synchronous. The Set Blob Tier call returns immediately with a success status, but the actual rehydration process runs in the background and can take minutes to hours depending on blob size and requested priority. The blob remains in the Archive tier until the background operation finishes, which means the data is not immediately available.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the question asked about changing a blob between Hot and Cool tiers, as those tier changes are instantaneous and synchronous.
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.
✓Rehydration is required before the blob can be read or copied.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Archive blobs are stored offline, so their data content is not accessible on standard storage nodes. Any read or copy operation that accesses the blob's content — such as a download, Get Blob, or Copy Blob — will fail with an archive-related error until rehydration has been performed. Rehydration moves the blob back to an online tier, making it readable or copyable.
✗Archived blobs can be read immediately through normal blob reads.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Archived blobs are offline and cannot be read directly; they must first be rehydrated to an online tier (Hot or Cool) before access is possible.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question were about blobs in the Cool or Hot access tier, then normal blob reads would work immediately without rehydration.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may assume that all blob tiers support immediate read access, not realizing that Archive is an offline tier requiring rehydration.
✗Archive tier provides the fastest retrieval time.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Archive tier has the slowest retrieval time (hours for standard rehydration), not the fastest. Hot tier provides immediate access.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question asked 'Which tier provides the lowest storage cost for infrequently accessed data?' then Archive tier would be correct because it is the cheapest storage tier.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse 'Archive' with 'archival' speed or assume that the cheapest tier also offers fast retrieval, overlooking the trade-off between cost and access time.
✗Changing a blob from Archive to Hot completes instantly and synchronously.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Changing a blob from Archive to Hot requires rehydration, which can take up to 15 hours, so it does not complete instantly or synchronously.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the question asked about changing a blob between Hot and Cool tiers, as those tier changes are instantaneous and synchronous.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the instant tier change between Hot and Cool with the Archive tier, assuming all tier changes are immediate.
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
Learn chapter
Azure Files and Azure File Sync
Key term
Audit
An audit is a systematic, independent review of IT systems, processes, and controls to verify compliance with policies, standards, and regulations.
Key term
Archive tier
Archive tier is an ultra-low-cost Azure Blob Storage access tier designed for long-term retention of data that is rarely accessed and can tolerate hours of retrieval latency.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every AZ-104 question from scratch — 1,049 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.