Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure →easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
DP-900 Practice Question: Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure
A media company stores high-definition video files for on-demand streaming. The files are accessed very frequently for the first 30 days after upload, then rarely (about once per month) for the next year, and after one year they are rarely accessed but must be retained for compliance (about once per year). Which set of access tier transitions minimizes cost while meeting access requirements?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often assume the Cool tier is always cheaper than Hot for the first 30 days, but Cool's higher read costs and 30-day minimum charge make Hot more cost-effective for frequent access, and Archive's retrieval latency makes it unsuitable for monthly access.
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
✓
Hot for 30 days, then Cool for 11 months, then Archive
It aligns the Azure Blob Storage access tier transitions with the access pattern: Hot tier for the first 30 days of frequent access, Cool tier for the next 11 months of monthly access, and Archive tier after one year for rare compliance access. This minimizes cost by moving data to progressively cheaper storage tiers as access frequency drops, while still meeting the access requirements (Cool supports monthly access, Archive supports yearly access with retrieval time).
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Hot for 30 days, then Cool for 11 months, then Archive
Why this is correct
Hot tier serves the initial frequent access with low latency. Cool tier reduces storage cost during the period of occasional access (once per month) while still allowing retrieval within seconds. Archive tier provides the lowest cost for long-term compliance storage.
- ✗
Hot for 30 days, then Archive immediately
Why it's wrong here
Moving data from Hot directly to Archive after only 30 days ignores the fact that the media company still needs to access files roughly once per month for the next 11 months. Archive tier keeps storage costs minimal but requires offline retrieval that can take up to several hours, and each access incurs a rehydration fee—so this pattern would make those monthly retrievals slow and unnecessarily expensive. A gradual transition to Cool would allow the monthly access to occur with low latency and modest cost before final archival.
- ✗
Cool for 30 days, then Cool for 11 months, then Archive
Why it's wrong here
Using Cool tier for the initial 30-day period clashes with the workload's actual access pattern, because that first month is when videos are likely streamed frequently on demand. Cool tier is designed for data that is infrequently accessed and carries higher per-access charges than Hot; it also lacks the same low-latency, high-throughput characteristics that Hot provides for a media delivery scenario. Although Cool would eventually be the right choice, starting there would raise access costs and could degrade the user experience during the peak viewing window, making Hot first the more cost-efficient and performance-appropriate sequence.
- ✗
Hot for 365 days, then Archive
Why it's wrong here
Keeping videos in Hot tier for a full 365 days is wasteful because the access frequency drops dramatically after the initial 30-day launch and marketing window. The Hot tier offers the lowest access latency and highest throughput, but at a significantly higher storage price than Cool; paying that premium for 11 months of monthly-only accesses adds substantial cost without providing business benefit. The correct lifecycle policy should move the data to Cool once the frequent access subsides, retaining hot performance only for the short period where it truly adds value.
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
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Data Roles and Core Concepts
Key term
Data
Data is raw, unprocessed information, like numbers, words, or measurements, that can be stored, processed, and analyzed by computers.
Key term
Blob storage
Blob storage is a cloud service for storing large amounts of unstructured data, such as text or binary data, like documents, images, and videos.
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