Question 975 of 999

Design data storage solutions →easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

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. 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 company stores log data in Azure Blob Storage. Logs are accessed frequently for the first 30 days, then rarely accessed but must be retained for 7 years for compliance. They want to minimize storage costs. Which storage tier and lifecycle management rule should they use?

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.

Question 1easymultiple choice

Full question →

A
Use the Cool tier for initial storage, and a lifecycle rule to move to Archive after 30 days.
Why wrong: Cool tier is for data accessed infrequently but with immediate availability. Using Cool for the first 30 days may increase cost compared to Hot because Cool has higher read costs and lower storage cost, but Hot is cheaper for frequent access. More importantly, the requirement is to minimize cost, and Hot then Archive is the optimal path.
B
Use the Hot tier for initial storage, and a lifecycle rule to move to the Cool tier after 30 days, then to Archive after 7 years.
Why wrong: Moving to Cool after 30 days adds complexity and cost (write operations to Cool) with no benefit since the data is rarely accessed and can go directly to Archive.
C
Use the Hot tier for initial storage, and a lifecycle rule to move to Archive after 30 days.
Hot tier optimizes for frequent access during the first 30 days. Moving directly to Archive after 30 days minimizes storage cost during the long retention period, as Archive has the lowest storage cost for rarely accessed data.
D
Use the Archive tier for initial storage, and a lifecycle rule to move to Hot for the first 30 days.
Why wrong: Archive tier is for data that is rarely accessed and has a high retrieval cost and latency. Storing frequently accessed data in Archive is impractical and costly due to rehydration fees.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Use the Hot tier for initial storage, and a lifecycle rule to move to Archive after 30 days.

Option C is correct because the Hot tier is optimal for frequent access during the first 30 days, and a lifecycle rule moving directly to Archive after 30 days minimizes costs by immediately transitioning to the lowest-cost storage tier for long-term retention. The Archive tier is the most cost-effective for data that is rarely accessed and must be retained for 7 years, as it offers the lowest storage cost but higher retrieval latency and cost.

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.

✗
Use the Cool tier for initial storage, and a lifecycle rule to move to Archive after 30 days.
Why it's wrong here
Cool tier is for data accessed infrequently but with immediate availability. Using Cool for the first 30 days may increase cost compared to Hot because Cool has higher read costs and lower storage cost, but Hot is cheaper for frequent access. More importantly, the requirement is to minimize cost, and Hot then Archive is the optimal path.
✗
Use the Hot tier for initial storage, and a lifecycle rule to move to the Cool tier after 30 days, then to Archive after 7 years.
Why it's wrong here
Moving to Cool after 30 days adds complexity and cost (write operations to Cool) with no benefit since the data is rarely accessed and can go directly to Archive.
✓
Use the Hot tier for initial storage, and a lifecycle rule to move to Archive after 30 days.
Why this is correct
Hot tier optimizes for frequent access during the first 30 days. Moving directly to Archive after 30 days minimizes storage cost during the long retention period, as Archive has the lowest storage cost for rarely accessed data.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "first", "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use the Archive tier for initial storage, and a lifecycle rule to move to Hot for the first 30 days.
Why it's wrong here
Archive tier is for data that is rarely accessed and has a high retrieval cost and latency. Storing frequently accessed data in Archive is impractical and costly due to rehydration fees.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates may overcomplicate by adding an intermediate Cool tier (Option B) or incorrectly assume Archive can be used for initial storage (Option D), failing to recognize that direct transition to Archive after the hot period is the most cost-effective for long-term retention with minimal access.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Azure Blob Storage lifecycle management rules evaluate conditions (e.g., age) and execute actions like tier transitions or deletion. The Archive tier has a minimum retention period of 180 days for blobs moved from Hot or Cool; if deleted earlier, an early deletion fee applies. In this scenario, moving directly to Archive after 30 days avoids the Cool tier's intermediate storage cost, but note that the Archive tier's retrieval cost and time (up to 15 hours for rehydration) are acceptable for rarely accessed compliance data.

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.

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-305 question test?

Design data storage solutions — This question tests Design data storage solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Use the Hot tier for initial storage, and a lifecycle rule to move to Archive after 30 days. — Option C is correct because the Hot tier is optimal for frequent access during the first 30 days, and a lifecycle rule moving directly to Archive after 30 days minimizes costs by immediately transitioning to the lowest-cost storage tier for long-term retention. The Archive tier is the most cost-effective for data that is rarely accessed and must be retained for 7 years, as it offers the lowest storage cost but higher retrieval latency and cost.

What should I do if I get this AZ-305 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: "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?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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