- A
Change the blob access tier from Archive to Hot or Cool so the data becomes online again.
Archived data must be moved back to an online tier before it can be read.
- B
Wait for the rehydration process to finish before opening the blob in a client or portal.
The blob is not readable until rehydration completes successfully.
- C
Enable a private endpoint, because archive blobs can only be read through private connectivity.
Why wrong: Connectivity settings do not replace the need to rehydrate archived data.
- D
Convert the storage account to GZRS, because geo-replication automatically restores archived blobs.
Why wrong: Redundancy settings do not change the archive tier or make archived blobs immediately readable.
- E
Set the container ACL to public so archived blobs can be read without rehydration.
Why wrong: Access control does not override the archive tier's offline state.
Quick Answer
The answer is that you must change the access tier to Hot or Cool and then wait for the rehydration process to finish before opening the blob. An archived blob exists in an offline state, meaning its data is stored in a low-cost, high-latency tier that cannot be read directly. Changing the tier initiates the rehydration process, which moves the blob data back to an online, accessible state; attempting to read the blob before this process completes will result in an error. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Azure Blob Storage access tiers and lifecycle management, often appearing as a two-step action question where a common trap is selecting “change the tier” alone without also acknowledging the required wait time. Remember the mnemonic “Tier and Wait” — you must first set the tier to Hot or Cool, then wait for rehydration to finish before the blob becomes readable.
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 archived blob must be read tomorrow morning. Which two actions are required before the blob can be opened? 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 so the data becomes online again.
Option A is correct because an archived blob is in an offline state and must be rehydrated to the Hot or Cool tier before it can be read. Changing the access tier initiates the rehydration process, which makes the blob data online and accessible.
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 so the data becomes online again.
Why this is correct
Archived data must be moved back to an online tier before it can be read.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Wait for the rehydration process to finish before opening the blob in a client or portal.
Why this is correct
The blob is not readable until rehydration completes successfully.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable a private endpoint, because archive blobs can only be read through private connectivity.
Why it's wrong here
Connectivity settings do not replace the need to rehydrate archived data.
- ✗
Convert the storage account to GZRS, because geo-replication automatically restores archived blobs.
Why it's wrong here
Redundancy settings do not change the archive tier or make archived blobs immediately readable.
- ✗
Set the container ACL to public so archived blobs can be read without rehydration.
Why it's wrong here
Access control does not override the archive tier's offline state.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think archive blobs can be read directly with special network settings or permissions, but the core requirement is always rehydration to an online tier before any read operation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Rehydration of an archive blob involves moving it from the Archive tier (offline) to the Hot or Cool tier (online). This process can take up to 15 hours for standard priority or up to 36 hours for high priority. During rehydration, the blob is in a 'rehydrate-pending' state and cannot be read until the operation completes. The rehydration is initiated via the Set Blob Tier REST API or the 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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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 so the data becomes online again. — Option A is correct because an archived blob is in an offline state and must be rehydrated to the Hot or Cool tier before it can be read. Changing the access tier initiates the rehydration process, which makes the blob data online and accessible.
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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
2 more ways 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. A batch job fails with a blob read error after the administrator moved a 200-GB blob to the archive tier. The file must be available again within a few hours, and the administrator wants the least disruptive recovery. What should be done?
medium- A.Delete the archived blob and upload a new copy from backup.
- ✓ B.Change the blob tier to Hot or Cool and wait for the rehydration process to finish.
- C.Enable soft delete on the storage account and retry the read operation.
- D.Convert the storage account to premium performance.
Why B: Option B is correct because moving a blob to the archive tier makes it offline; to read it, you must first rehydrate it by changing the tier to Hot or Cool. Rehydration typically completes within a few hours (up to 15 hours for archive), meeting the requirement. This is the least disruptive method as it avoids data loss or additional uploads.
Variation 2. An administrator moved old log blobs to the Archive tier last month. An auditor now needs one blob for review later today. What must happen before the blob can be opened?
medium- A.Download the blob directly from the Archive tier and open it immediately
- ✓ B.Change the blob to Hot or Cool and wait for rehydration to complete
- C.Create a snapshot of the blob and open the snapshot instead
- D.Copy the blob to another container without changing its tier
Why B: Blobs in the Archive tier are offline and cannot be read directly. To access the data, you must first change the blob's access tier to Hot or Cool (rehydrate it), which can take up to 15 hours depending on the rehydration priority. Only after rehydration completes can the blob be downloaded and opened.
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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