- A
Move to Cool tier after 1 day, delete after 90 days
Cool tier is the most cost-effective for data accessed rarely. Moving after 1 day minimizes storage cost early. Deleting after exactly 90 days meets compliance without early deletion penalties.
- B
Move to Archive tier after 1 day, delete after 90 days
Why wrong: Moving to Archive after 1 day would result in early deletion fees because the Archive tier requires a minimum 180-day retention. Deleting at 90 days would incur extra charges, making it more expensive.
- C
Move to Cool tier after 30 days, delete after 90 days
Why wrong: Keeping data in the Hot tier for the first 30 days is unnecessary because data is rarely accessed after 24 hours. This results in higher costs for those 29 days compared to moving to Cool after 1 day.
- D
Move to Archive tier after 30 days, delete after 90 days
Why wrong: Moving to Archive after 30 days leaves data in Hot for 30 days unnecessarily, and then Archive early deletion fees apply because 60 days in Archive is less than 180 days, increasing overall cost.
AZ-305 Design data storage solutions Practice Question
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design data storage solutions. 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. A key principle to apply: azure Blob Storage Cool tier is optimized for infrequently accessed data.. 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 company ingests IoT sensor data into Azure Blob Storage. Data is written frequently and is accessed rarely after the first 24 hours. The company must retain the data for exactly 90 days for compliance. They want to minimize storage costs by automatically moving data to the cheapest possible storage tier as soon as possible. Which Azure Blob Storage lifecycle management policy should they implement?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
Move to Cool tier after 1 day, delete after 90 days
Option A is correct because the data is rarely accessed after 24 hours, so moving it to Cool tier after 1 day minimizes cost while still allowing low-latency access. The 90-day deletion aligns with the compliance retention requirement. Cool tier is the cheapest online tier, and moving data there as soon as possible (after 1 day) reduces costs without incurring the early deletion penalty or retrieval latency of Archive tier.
Key principle: Azure Blob Storage Cool tier is optimized for infrequently accessed data.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Move to Cool tier after 1 day, delete after 90 days
Why this is correct
Cool tier is the most cost-effective for data accessed rarely. Moving after 1 day minimizes storage cost early. Deleting after exactly 90 days meets compliance without early deletion penalties.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "first", "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Azure Blob Storage Cool tier is optimized for infrequently accessed data.
- ✗
Move to Archive tier after 1 day, delete after 90 days
Why it's wrong here
Moving to Archive after 1 day would result in early deletion fees because the Archive tier requires a minimum 180-day retention. Deleting at 90 days would incur extra charges, making it more expensive.
- ✗
Move to Cool tier after 30 days, delete after 90 days
Why it's wrong here
Keeping data in the Hot tier for the first 30 days is unnecessary because data is rarely accessed after 24 hours. This results in higher costs for those 29 days compared to moving to Cool after 1 day.
- ✗
Move to Archive tier after 30 days, delete after 90 days
Why it's wrong here
Moving to Archive after 30 days leaves data in Hot for 30 days unnecessarily, and then Archive early deletion fees apply because 60 days in Archive is less than 180 days, increasing overall cost.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose Archive tier thinking it is the cheapest, but they overlook the 180-day early deletion penalty and the fact that Cool tier is sufficient for 90-day retention with no penalty, making it the true cheapest option for this exact retention window.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Blob Storage lifecycle management policies evaluate rules based on the 'last modification time' of the blob. The Cool tier offers lower storage costs than Hot but with a 30-day early deletion penalty if deleted before 30 days. The Archive tier has the lowest storage cost but requires a 180-day minimum retention and has a retrieval time of up to 15 hours. For data that is rarely accessed after 24 hours and must be retained for exactly 90 days, moving to Cool after 1 day avoids the Archive tier's early deletion penalty and retrieval latency, while still meeting compliance.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Azure Blob Storage Cool tier is optimized for infrequently accessed data.
- Cool tier has a 30-day minimum retention period.
- Lifecycle management policies automate tiering and deletion of blobs.
- Moving data to Cool after 1 day minimizes costs for rarely accessed data.
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
Azure Blob Storage Cool tier is optimized for infrequently accessed data.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review azure Blob Storage Cool tier is optimized for infrequently accessed data., then practise related AZ-305 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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Design data storage solutions — study guide chapter
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Design data storage solutions practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-305 question test?
Design data storage solutions — This question tests Design data storage solutions — Azure Blob Storage Cool tier is optimized for infrequently accessed data..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Move to Cool tier after 1 day, delete after 90 days — Option A is correct because the data is rarely accessed after 24 hours, so moving it to Cool tier after 1 day minimizes cost while still allowing low-latency access. The 90-day deletion aligns with the compliance retention requirement. Cool tier is the cheapest online tier, and moving data there as soon as possible (after 1 day) reduces costs without incurring the early deletion penalty or retrieval latency of Archive tier.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?
Review azure Blob Storage Cool tier is optimized for infrequently accessed data., then practise related AZ-305 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first", "minimum / minimize". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Azure Blob Storage Cool tier is optimized for infrequently accessed data.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This AZ-305 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-305 exam.
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