DP-203 Design and implement data storage Practice Question
A data engineer needs to store log data from multiple applications in Azure. The data is append-only, heavily compressed, and queried infrequently. Cost minimization is critical. Which storage solution is best?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse Azure Blob Storage's access tiers with Data Lake Storage Gen2's tiers, assuming the hot tier is always the default for log data, but the question's emphasis on 'cost minimization' and 'infrequently queried' explicitly points to cool or archive tiers, not the hot tier.
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 cool or archive access tier
Azure Blob Storage with cool or archive access tier is the best choice because the data is append-only, heavily compressed, and infrequently queried, making cost minimization the top priority. The cool tier offers low storage costs with higher access charges, while the archive tier provides the lowest storage cost for data that is rarely accessed and can tolerate hours of retrieval latency. This aligns perfectly with the append-only, infrequently queried nature of the log 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.
- ✗
Azure Table Storage
Why it's wrong here
Table Storage is a key-value NoSQL store without hierarchical namespaces, file semantics or the analytics engines the log pipeline needs. It tempts as a cheap append-only sink, but ADLS Gen2 with a cool or archive tier delivers lower cost plus Spark and Synapse compatibility.
- ✗
Azure Cosmos DB with analytical store
Why it's wrong here
Cosmos DB analytical store is priced for high-throughput, low-latency analytical queries on operational data, not infrequent access to compressed append-only logs. Its per-RU and storage costs dwarf blob storage tiers. It would suit real-time analytics over transactional data, not cost-driven archival log retention.
- ✓
Azure Blob Storage with cool or archive access tier
Why this is correct
Cool and Archive tiers suit append-only, infrequently queried log data because they trade higher access latency and per-operation costs for substantially lower storage pricing. Archive offers the cheapest per-GB rate, directly satisfying the cost-minimisation constraint while retaining compressed blobs.
- ✗
Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 with hot tier
Why it's wrong here
The hot tier carries the highest per-GB storage and transaction costs, contradicting the cost-minimisation requirement for infrequently queried logs. It tempts because ADLS Gen2 hierarchical namespaces suit analytics, but the correct choice is the cool or archive tier.
Quick reference
Azure Blob Storage Tier Comparison
| Tier | Storage Cost | Retrieval Cost | Latency | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot | Highest | Lowest | Immediate | Active data, frequent reads |
| Cool | Lower | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / month |
| Cold | Lower still | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / quarter |
| Archive | Lowest | Highest + rehydration delay | Hours | Long-term compliance retention |
Go deeper
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DP-203 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 DP-203 exam.