- A
Azure Blob Storage with lifecycle management policies
Blob Storage provides REST API access and supports lifecycle management rules to automatically transition blobs from hot to cool to archive tiers, reducing costs as data ages.
- B
Azure Files with tiering
Why wrong: Azure Files offers SMB/NFS shares and supports cool tier, but it does not have automatic lifecycle management to archive tiers and is not primarily designed for REST API access.
- C
Azure NetApp Files with capacity pools
Why wrong: Azure NetApp Files is a high-performance file service for NFS/SMB, not designed for REST API access or automatic tiering to archive.
- D
Azure Disk Storage with managed disks
Why wrong: Disk Storage is for VM disks, not for storing files accessed via REST APIs, and does not support automatic tiering.
AZ-305 Design data storage solutions Practice Question
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design data storage solutions. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 media company needs to store large volumes of video files that are processed by an application. The files are accessed via REST APIs and are rarely accessed after the first few days. The company wants to minimize storage costs by automatically moving older files to a cheaper storage tier without any manual intervention. Which Azure storage solution should they use, and which feature should they configure?
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
Azure Blob Storage with lifecycle management policies
Azure Blob Storage with lifecycle management policies is the correct solution because it allows you to define rules that automatically move blobs to cooler tiers (e.g., from Hot to Cool to Archive) based on age or last modification time, minimizing storage costs without manual intervention. The REST API access requirement is natively supported by Blob Storage via HTTPS, and the large video file workload fits well within its object storage capabilities.
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.
- ✓
Azure Blob Storage with lifecycle management policies
Why this is correct
Blob Storage provides REST API access and supports lifecycle management rules to automatically transition blobs from hot to cool to archive tiers, reducing costs as data ages.
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.
- ✗
Azure Files with tiering
Why it's wrong here
Azure Files offers SMB/NFS shares and supports cool tier, but it does not have automatic lifecycle management to archive tiers and is not primarily designed for REST API access.
- ✗
Azure NetApp Files with capacity pools
Why it's wrong here
Azure NetApp Files is a high-performance file service for NFS/SMB, not designed for REST API access or automatic tiering to archive.
- ✗
Azure Disk Storage with managed disks
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse Azure Files tiering (which is for hybrid caching with Azure File Sync) with Blob Storage lifecycle management, or assume that any storage service with 'tiering' in its name provides automated cost-optimized tiering for REST-accessible data.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Lifecycle management policies in Azure Blob Storage are defined as JSON rules that evaluate blob attributes like 'lastModified' or 'blobType' and execute actions such as 'tierToCool', 'tierToArchive', or 'delete' after a specified number of days. Under the hood, these policies run asynchronously once per day, so there can be up to a 24-hour delay before blobs are moved. In a real-world scenario, a media company might set a policy to move video files older than 30 days to Cool tier and files older than 90 days to Archive tier, reducing costs by up to 80% compared to Hot tier.
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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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 — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Azure Blob Storage with lifecycle management policies — Azure Blob Storage with lifecycle management policies is the correct solution because it allows you to define rules that automatically move blobs to cooler tiers (e.g., from Hot to Cool to Archive) based on age or last modification time, minimizing storage costs without manual intervention. The REST API access requirement is natively supported by Blob Storage via HTTPS, and the large video file workload fits well within its object storage capabilities.
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.
About these practice questions
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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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