- A
Stream sign-in logs to Log Analytics for real-time analysis and simultaneously archive them to an Azure Storage account with immutable blob policy (WORM).
Log Analytics provides real-time query; immutable storage ensures compliance.
- B
Stream sign-in logs to Azure Event Hubs and then to cold storage in Azure Blob with lifecycle management.
Why wrong: Event Hubs is for real-time ingestion, not long-term immutable storage.
- C
Stream sign-in logs to Log Analytics workspace with 7-year retention and use Azure Policy to restrict deletion.
Why wrong: Log Analytics retention can be set to 7 years, but Azure Policy does not make logs immutable.
- D
Use Azure Data Explorer to store logs for 7 years and configure a purge policy to prevent deletion.
Why wrong: Purge policy is for automatic deletion, not immutability.
Quick Answer
The correct design is to stream sign-in logs to Log Analytics for real-time analysis and simultaneously archive them to an Azure Storage account with an immutable blob policy (WORM). This combination directly satisfies the dual mandate of immutable log retention compliance and cost-effective storage, because Azure Blob Storage with a time-based retention policy prevents any modification or deletion by administrators—even those with elevated privileges—while Log Analytics enables immediate querying and alerting on sign-in activity. On the AZ-305 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of balancing long-term compliance with operational monitoring; a common trap is choosing to store everything in Log Analytics alone, which becomes prohibitively expensive over seven years. The key insight is that Log Analytics is optimized for short-term, interactive analysis, whereas Azure Blob Storage provides cheap, immutable long-term archiving. Memory tip: think “Stream to see, Blob to freeze”—Log Analytics for live visibility, immutable blobs for locked-down retention.
AZ-305 Practice Question: Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Your company operates in a highly regulated industry and must retain all sign-in logs for 7 years. The logs must be immutable and cannot be modified or deleted by administrators. You need to design a monitoring solution that stores sign-in logs in a cost-effective manner while meeting compliance requirements. The solution should also allow for real-time analysis of sign-in activity. What should you include in the design?
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
Stream sign-in logs to Log Analytics for real-time analysis and simultaneously archive them to an Azure Storage account with immutable blob policy (WORM).
Option A is correct because it meets both compliance and real-time analysis requirements. Streaming sign-in logs to Log Analytics enables real-time monitoring and querying, while simultaneously archiving them to an Azure Storage account with an immutable blob policy (WORM) ensures the logs cannot be modified or deleted for the required 7-year retention period. This combination provides cost-effective long-term storage (Azure Blob is cheaper than Log Analytics for long-term retention) and satisfies regulatory immutability mandates.
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.
- ✓
Stream sign-in logs to Log Analytics for real-time analysis and simultaneously archive them to an Azure Storage account with immutable blob policy (WORM).
Why this is correct
Log Analytics provides real-time query; immutable storage ensures compliance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Stream sign-in logs to Azure Event Hubs and then to cold storage in Azure Blob with lifecycle management.
Why it's wrong here
Event Hubs is for real-time ingestion, not long-term immutable storage.
- ✗
Stream sign-in logs to Log Analytics workspace with 7-year retention and use Azure Policy to restrict deletion.
Why it's wrong here
Log Analytics retention can be set to 7 years, but Azure Policy does not make logs immutable.
- ✗
Use Azure Data Explorer to store logs for 7 years and configure a purge policy to prevent deletion.
Why it's wrong here
Purge policy is for automatic deletion, not immutability.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume Log Analytics retention alone suffices for compliance, but Log Analytics does not provide immutable storage, and Azure Policy cannot prevent data modification within the workspace; the correct approach requires separate immutable archival in Azure Storage.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Storage immutable blob policy uses a time-based retention policy that locks blobs in a WORM state, preventing any writes or deletes until the retention period expires. This policy can be applied at the container level and supports legal holds for indefinite retention. For real-time analysis, Log Analytics uses the Azure Monitor Logs ingestion pipeline, which can receive sign-in logs via diagnostic settings from Azure AD; the logs are then available for KQL queries within seconds, enabling immediate security monitoring and alerting.
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 identity, governance, and monitoring solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-305 question test?
Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions — This question tests Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Stream sign-in logs to Log Analytics for real-time analysis and simultaneously archive them to an Azure Storage account with immutable blob policy (WORM). — Option A is correct because it meets both compliance and real-time analysis requirements. Streaming sign-in logs to Log Analytics enables real-time monitoring and querying, while simultaneously archiving them to an Azure Storage account with an immutable blob policy (WORM) ensures the logs cannot be modified or deleted for the required 7-year retention period. This combination provides cost-effective long-term storage (Azure Blob is cheaper than Log Analytics for long-term retention) and satisfies regulatory immutability mandates.
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.
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 24, 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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