AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question
Exhibit
Blob properties: Name: monthly-finance.csv Access tier: Archive Archive status: none Last modified: 2026-04-10 Application log: 12:05 UTC - Job started 12:06 UTC - Download failed: Blob is currently archived and must be rehydrated before it can be read. Business requirement: analysts must open the file in Excel tomorrow morning.
Based on the exhibit, what should you do so the report can open the file tomorrow morning?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates assume the Cool access tier is always immediately readable, forgetting that blobs in the Archive tier must be rehydrated to any online tier before access, and that rehydration time is significant.
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 to the Hot access tier and allow it to rehydrate before the report runs.
The blob is currently in the Archive access tier, which requires manual rehydration (changing the tier to Hot or Cool) before it can be read. Rehydration can take up to 15 hours, so changing the blob to the Hot access tier now and allowing it to complete rehydration before the report runs tomorrow ensures the file is available for reading.
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 to the Hot access tier and allow it to rehydrate before the report runs.
Why this is correct
Archive blobs are offline and cannot be read until they are rehydrated to an online tier. Moving the blob to Hot is the appropriate action when access is needed soon, because it restores immediate read availability after the rehydration completes.
- ✗
Change the blob to the Cool access tier only, because Cool is always immediately readable.
Why it's wrong here
Changing the blob to the Cool tier is not sufficient when the blob is already in the Archive tier. Archive is an offline tier, and any change to an online tier, including Cool, requires a rehydration process that moves the data from offline storage to an online state. Until that rehydration completes, the blob remains in a read-only, offline status; merely targeting Cool does not make it immediately readable. The rehydration delay and the need to wait still apply, so this action does not meet the report's urgent access requirement.
When this WOULD be correct
If the blob were already in the Archive tier and the question required immediate read access without waiting (e.g., 'the report must run in 10 minutes'), then changing to Cool would be wrong. However, if the blob were in the Cool tier and needed to be accessed, no rehydration is needed, so 'Change to Cool' would be correct if the current tier were Hot or Cool but not Archive.
- ✗
Create a snapshot of the archived blob and use the snapshot instead.
Why it's wrong here
A blob snapshot captures the state of the blob at the time the snapshot is taken, but it does not bypass the archive tier. If the source blob is in the Archive tier, a snapshot is also stored in the Archive tier and remains offline until rehydrated. Creating a snapshot therefore does not provide immediate readability and is not a substitute for initiating a rehydration operation. You would still need to change the tier or use the rehydrate action before either the snapshot or the original becomes accessible.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the question required preserving the original blob's state while providing read access to a point-in-time copy, and the snapshot was taken before the blob was archived (i.e., when it was in a hot or cool tier), making the snapshot immediately readable.
- ✗
Enable versioning on the storage account so the file becomes readable again.
Why it's wrong here
Enabling versioning on the storage account affects how future writes create new versions, but it does not change the tier or availability of an existing archived blob. If the current version is already in the Archive tier, all versions, including prior ones, are stored under the same tiering constraints. Versioning also does not trigger any rehydration action; the archived blob remains offline and unreadable. Therefore, enabling versioning does not restore immediate access to the file for the report.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question asked how to protect against accidental deletion or overwrite of a blob that is already in an accessible tier, enabling versioning would allow recovery of previous versions.
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.
✓Change the blob to the Hot access tier and allow it to rehydrate before the report runs.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Archive blobs are offline and cannot be read until they are rehydrated to an online tier. Moving the blob to Hot is the appropriate action when access is needed soon, because it restores immediate read availability after the rehydration completes.
✗Change the blob to the Cool access tier only, because Cool is always immediately readable.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The Cool access tier is immediately readable, but the blob is currently in the Archive tier. Changing to Cool alone does not trigger rehydration; the blob remains frozen until explicitly rehydrated to Hot or Cool, which takes hours. Thus, it won't be readable by tomorrow morning.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the blob were already in the Archive tier and the question required immediate read access without waiting (e.g., 'the report must run in 10 minutes'), then changing to Cool would be wrong. However, if the blob were in the Cool tier and needed to be accessed, no rehydration is needed, so 'Change to Cool' would be correct if the current tier were Hot or Cool but not Archive.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may mistakenly think that changing the access tier to Cool instantly makes the blob readable, overlooking the rehydration delay required when moving from Archive to any online tier.
✗Create a snapshot of the archived blob and use the snapshot instead.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Snapshots of an archived blob are also in the archived state and are not immediately readable; they must be rehydrated first, which does not solve the requirement for immediate access tomorrow morning.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the question required preserving the original blob's state while providing read access to a point-in-time copy, and the snapshot was taken before the blob was archived (i.e., when it was in a hot or cool tier), making the snapshot immediately readable.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think snapshots provide instant access to a previous version of the blob, overlooking that snapshots inherit the access tier of the base blob at the time of creation, so an archived blob's snapshot is also archived.
✗Enable versioning on the storage account so the file becomes readable again.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Enabling versioning does not make an archived blob immediately readable; the blob is still in the Archive tier and must be rehydrated to an online tier before access.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question asked how to protect against accidental deletion or overwrite of a blob that is already in an accessible tier, enabling versioning would allow recovery of previous versions.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse versioning with tier changes, thinking it provides a quick way to access archived data without understanding the rehydration requirement.
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
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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.