AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✓

  Frequent read and write operations: Hot tier

  Why this is correct

  Hot tier is the default and only tier optimized for datasets with frequent read and write operations. It offers the lowest access latency and no minimum storage duration, but has the highest storage cost per gigabyte among the three tiers. Choosing Hot for active workloads minimizes operational cost because access charges are negligible and throughput is maximized.

• ✓

  Infrequent access with 30-day minimum storage duration: Cool tier

  Why this is correct

  Cool tier is designed for data that is accessed infrequently but must be retained for at least 30 days. It offers lower storage cost than Hot but higher access costs and slightly higher latency, making it ideal for short-term backups or older documents that still need occasional retrieval. The 30-day minimum applies to avoid early deletion penalties, so it is a direct fit for this pattern.

• ✓

  Rarely accessed data with 180-day minimum storage duration: Archive tier

  Why this is correct

  Archive tier is the lowest-cost storage tier intended for rarely accessed data that can tolerate retrieval latency of up to 15 hours. It requires a minimum storage duration of 180 days; deleting or moving data before that incurs an early deletion charge. This tier suits long-term compliance archives, backup tapes, or legal records rarely retrieved.

• ✓

  Retrieving data from Archive tier: Rehydrate the blob

  Why this is correct

  Blobs in the Archive tier are in an offline state and cannot be read directly. To access data, you must first rehydrate the blob by changing its tier to Hot or Cool using the Set Blob Tier operation or by copying the blob to a new tier, with rehydration priority from High to Standard. The rehydration process can take from minutes to hours, so plan retrieval accordingly.

• ✗

  Frequent read and write operations: Cool tier

  Why it's wrong here

  Cool tier is a poor fit for frequent read and write operations because it is optimized for infrequent access, not active workloads. While its storage price is lower than Hot, operations such as reads and writes are billed per transaction at a higher rate, and the latency is slightly higher. Frequent use of Cool tier would drive up access costs, making Hot tier the economically and operationally correct choice.

• ✗

  Infrequent access with 30-day minimum storage duration: Archive tier

  Why it's wrong here

  Archive tier is unsuitable for data accessed infrequently with a 30-day minimum duration because Archive enforces a much longer 180-day minimum retention period and requires hours-long rehydration before access. If you choose Archive for this pattern, you would incur an early deletion penalty if the data is removed before 180 days, and the retrieval latency violates the typical expectation of quick access. Cool tier is the appropriate tier for a 30-day retention and infrequent access requirement.

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