- A
Hot, because it prioritizes immediate access over storage cost.
Why wrong: Hot satisfies availability, but it is not the lowest-cost online choice for infrequently accessed evidence files.
- B
Cool, because it is an online tier for infrequent access.
Why wrong: Cool is online, but Cold is the better fit when access is even rarer and cost matters more.
- C
Cold, because it keeps data online and is intended for rarely accessed content.
Cold is the right tier because the files must remain immediately readable and cannot be placed into an offline state. The scenario says the data is accessed only a few times per year, so a lower-cost online tier is appropriate. Archive would introduce rehydration delay, which the business explicitly does not want. Cold preserves online availability while reducing storage cost compared with hotter tiers.
- D
Archive, because it has the lowest cost and can be opened instantly from the portal.
Why wrong: Archive is offline and requires rehydration before the file can be read again.
AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage storage. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 legal department keeps evidence files in Azure Blob Storage. The files are accessed only a few times per year, but they must stay online and be immediately readable when requested. The team wants the lowest-cost online tier and does not want a rehydration step. Which tier should you choose?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"immediately / without restart"Why it matters: Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
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
Cold, because it keeps data online and is intended for rarely accessed content.
The Cold tier is the correct choice because it is an online tier designed for rarely accessed data that must remain immediately readable without a rehydration step. It offers lower storage costs than Hot or Cool while still providing instant access, meeting the requirement for the lowest-cost online tier.
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.
- ✗
Hot, because it prioritizes immediate access over storage cost.
Why it's wrong here
Hot satisfies availability, but it is not the lowest-cost online choice for infrequently accessed evidence files.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question specified that the data is accessed frequently (e.g., multiple times per day) and requires the lowest latency, Hot tier would be correct despite higher cost.
- ✗
Cool, because it is an online tier for infrequent access.
Why it's wrong here
Cool is online, but Cold is the better fit when access is even rarer and cost matters more.
When this WOULD be correct
A company stores backup files that are accessed monthly and must be immediately available. They want to minimize cost while keeping data online. Cool tier would be correct because it balances cost and access frequency for data accessed every 30 days.
- ✓
Cold, because it keeps data online and is intended for rarely accessed content.
Why this is correct
Cold is the right tier because the files must remain immediately readable and cannot be placed into an offline state. The scenario says the data is accessed only a few times per year, so a lower-cost online tier is appropriate. Archive would introduce rehydration delay, which the business explicitly does not want. Cold preserves online availability while reducing storage cost compared with hotter tiers.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Archive, because it has the lowest cost and can be opened instantly from the portal.
Why it's wrong here
Archive is offline and requires rehydration before the file can be read again.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question specified that data can tolerate a rehydration delay of several hours and the lowest storage cost is the only priority, Archive would be correct. For example: 'A team needs to store backup tapes for regulatory compliance, accessed once a year, and can wait up to 24 hours for retrieval.'
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.
✓Cold, because it keeps data online and is intended for rarely accessed content.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Cold is the right tier because the files must remain immediately readable and cannot be placed into an offline state. The scenario says the data is accessed only a few times per year, so a lower-cost online tier is appropriate. Archive would introduce rehydration delay, which the business explicitly does not want. Cold preserves online availability while reducing storage cost compared with hotter tiers.
✗Hot, because it prioritizes immediate access over storage cost.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Hot tier is designed for frequently accessed data and has the highest storage cost, which contradicts the requirement for the lowest-cost online tier for rarely accessed files.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question specified that the data is accessed frequently (e.g., multiple times per day) and requires the lowest latency, Hot tier would be correct despite higher cost.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may assume that 'immediate access' always requires Hot tier, overlooking that Cold tier also provides immediate online access at lower cost for infrequent access.
✗Cool, because it is an online tier for infrequent access.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Cool tier requires a minimum of 30 days storage and has a higher per-GB cost than Cold, but the question specifies 'lowest-cost online tier' and 'immediately readable' — Cool is not the cheapest online tier for rarely accessed data.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company stores backup files that are accessed monthly and must be immediately available. They want to minimize cost while keeping data online. Cool tier would be correct because it balances cost and access frequency for data accessed every 30 days.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates see 'infrequent access' and assume Cool is the best fit, but they overlook that Cold is also online and cheaper for data accessed only a few times per year.
✗Archive, because it has the lowest cost and can be opened instantly from the portal.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Archive tier requires a rehydration step (which can take hours) to make data readable, contradicting the requirement for immediate readability without a rehydration step.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question specified that data can tolerate a rehydration delay of several hours and the lowest storage cost is the only priority, Archive would be correct. For example: 'A team needs to store backup tapes for regulatory compliance, accessed once a year, and can wait up to 24 hours for retrieval.'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates see 'lowest cost' and assume Archive is always the best choice for rarely accessed data, overlooking the rehydration requirement and the need for immediate online access.
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?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'lowest cost' with the Archive tier, forgetting that Archive is offline and requires a rehydration step, which violates the requirement for immediate readability without a rehydration step.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Blob Storage access tiers (Hot, Cool, Cold, Archive) are priced based on storage cost versus access cost; Cold tier offers lower storage cost than Cool but higher than Archive, with a 30-day minimum storage duration. The Cold tier is an online tier, meaning data is always accessible via HTTP/HTTPS without any latency penalty, unlike Archive which requires a rehydration operation to move data to an online tier. In real-world scenarios, legal or compliance teams often choose Cold for data that must be retained online for regulatory reasons but is rarely accessed, balancing cost and availability.
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.
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 |
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: Cold, because it keeps data online and is intended for rarely accessed content. — The Cold tier is the correct choice because it is an online tier designed for rarely accessed data that must remain immediately readable without a rehydration step. It offers lower storage costs than Hot or Cool while still providing instant access, meeting the requirement for the lowest-cost online tier.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "immediately / without restart". Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
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
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