- A
Change the blob access tier from Archive to Hot or Cool.
A blob in Archive is offline and cannot be read until it is rehydrated into an online tier. Moving it to Hot or Cool starts that rehydration process and makes the blob available again. This is the required administrative step when a previously archived blob must be downloaded for use.
- B
Choose High priority rehydration for the tier change.
High priority rehydration is the fastest option for archived blobs and is appropriate when access is needed quickly. Standard priority can take longer, which may miss the one-hour requirement. Selecting High priority helps the blob become readable sooner after the tier change request is submitted.
- C
Download the blob directly from the Archive tier without changing its tier.
Why wrong: Archive is not an online access tier, so the blob cannot be downloaded directly. The data must be rehydrated first. This option ignores the storage service behavior for archived content and would not satisfy the requirement to make the blob available soon.
- D
Delete the blob and restore it from a soft delete snapshot.
Why wrong: Soft delete is not the normal way to retrieve an archived blob for immediate download. Deleting and restoring would add unnecessary steps and does not address the archive rehydration requirement. The correct action is to change the tier and request rehydration.
- E
Add a lifecycle rule to move the blob to Archive again after it is downloaded.
Why wrong: Lifecycle rules are useful for automated tier changes over time, but they do not make the archived blob immediately accessible. This action may be useful later, yet it does nothing to satisfy the urgent download requirement within the next hour.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to change the blob’s access tier to Hot or Cool and select High priority rehydration. This works because blobs in the Archive tier are stored offline, so they must be “rehydrated” to an online tier like Hot or Cool before they can be downloaded. Standard rehydration can take up to 15 hours, but setting the priority to High reduces that time to under one hour, which directly meets the requirement to make the blob downloadable quickly. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Azure Blob Storage access tiers and the rehydration process, often appearing as a two-step action where candidates mistakenly choose only the tier change or forget the priority setting. A common trap is assuming standard priority is sufficient for urgent access. Remember the memory tip: “Hot or Cool, then High priority to make it fly.”
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.
An analyst needs a blob that is currently in the Archive tier to be downloadable within the next hour. Which two actions should the administrator take? Select two.
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
Change the blob access tier from Archive to Hot or Cool.
Option A is correct because to make a blob in the Archive tier accessible for download, you must first change its access tier to Hot or Cool. This initiates a rehydration process that moves the blob data from offline storage to an online tier, making it available for read operations. The rehydration can take up to 15 hours, but selecting High priority rehydration (Option B) can reduce this to under 1 hour, meeting the analyst's requirement.
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.
- ✓
Change the blob access tier from Archive to Hot or Cool.
Why this is correct
A blob in Archive is offline and cannot be read until it is rehydrated into an online tier. Moving it to Hot or Cool starts that rehydration process and makes the blob available again. This is the required administrative step when a previously archived blob must be downloaded for use.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Choose High priority rehydration for the tier change.
Why this is correct
High priority rehydration is the fastest option for archived blobs and is appropriate when access is needed quickly. Standard priority can take longer, which may miss the one-hour requirement. Selecting High priority helps the blob become readable sooner after the tier change request is submitted.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Download the blob directly from the Archive tier without changing its tier.
Why it's wrong here
Archive is not an online access tier, so the blob cannot be downloaded directly. The data must be rehydrated first. This option ignores the storage service behavior for archived content and would not satisfy the requirement to make the blob available soon.
- ✗
Delete the blob and restore it from a soft delete snapshot.
Why it's wrong here
Soft delete is not the normal way to retrieve an archived blob for immediate download. Deleting and restoring would add unnecessary steps and does not address the archive rehydration requirement. The correct action is to change the tier and request rehydration.
- ✗
Add a lifecycle rule to move the blob to Archive again after it is downloaded.
Why it's wrong here
Lifecycle rules are useful for automated tier changes over time, but they do not make the archived blob immediately accessible. This action may be useful later, yet it does nothing to satisfy the urgent download requirement within the next hour.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think blobs in the Archive tier can be downloaded directly or that deleting and restoring from soft delete bypasses the rehydration requirement, but neither action changes the offline storage status of the blob.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The Archive tier uses offline storage with a default rehydration time of up to 15 hours for Standard priority, while High priority rehydration can complete in under 1 hour, typically within 10–30 minutes. The rehydration process involves copying the blob data to a Hot or Cool tier, after which the blob becomes available for read operations. This is managed via the Set Blob Tier REST API or Azure Portal, and the blob's access tier is updated accordingly.
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: Change the blob access tier from Archive to Hot or Cool. — Option A is correct because to make a blob in the Archive tier accessible for download, you must first change its access tier to Hot or Cool. This initiates a rehydration process that moves the blob data from offline storage to an online tier, making it available for read operations. The rehydration can take up to 15 hours, but selecting High priority rehydration (Option B) can reduce this to under 1 hour, meeting the analyst's requirement.
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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