Quick Answer
The answer is the Archive Blob Storage tier. This is correct because Archive offers the absolute lowest storage cost of any Azure blob tier, making it ideal for long-term retention of data that is rarely accessed, such as the 10-year archival requirement described. While retrieval requires rehydrating the data to a hot or cool tier, this process completes within hours (typically up to 15 hours for standard priority), easily meeting the 24-hour retrieval window. On the DP-900 exam, this question tests your understanding of Azure storage tier trade-offs between cost and access latency. A common trap is choosing Cool tier, which is cheaper than Hot but still more expensive than Archive for data stored over a decade. Remember the memory tip: “Archive for the archive” — if data is for long-term backup and you can wait a day, Archive is the cheapest way to store it.
This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe core data concepts. 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 multinational corporation needs to store archival data for 10 years with the lowest possible storage cost, while still being able to retrieve it within 24 hours if needed. Which Azure storage tier should they use?
Archive Blob Storage
Lowest cost, retrieval within 15 hours, meets 24-hour requirement.
Cool Blob Storage
Why wrong: Lower cost than Hot but higher than Archive; retrieval is immediate.
Premium Blob Storage
Why wrong: For low-latency performance, high cost.
Hot Blob Storage
Why wrong: For frequent access, highest cost.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Archive Blob Storage
Archive Blob Storage is the correct choice because it is designed for long-term retention of data that is rarely accessed, offering the lowest storage cost among Azure blob tiers. The 10-year retention requirement and 24-hour retrieval window align perfectly with Archive's capabilities, as data can be rehydrated to a hot or cool tier within hours (typically up to 15 hours for standard priority rehydration).
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Archive Blob Storage
Why this is correct
Lowest cost, retrieval within 15 hours, meets 24-hour requirement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Cool Blob Storage
Why it's wrong here
Lower cost than Hot but higher than Archive; retrieval is immediate.
Premium Blob Storage
Why it's wrong here
For low-latency performance, high cost.
Hot Blob Storage
Why it's wrong here
For frequent access, highest cost.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'lowest storage cost' with 'lowest overall cost' and overlook the retrieval time constraint, mistakenly choosing Cool Blob Storage because it offers lower cost than Hot but still allows immediate access, ignoring that Archive is even cheaper and meets the 24-hour retrieval window.
Detailed technical explanation
Archive Blob Storage stores data offline, meaning it is not directly accessible until rehydrated via a Set Blob Tier or Copy Blob operation, which can take from 1 to 15 hours depending on priority (standard or high). Under the hood, Azure uses erasure coding and geo-redundant storage options for durability, but the data is kept on low-cost magnetic drives with minimal power consumption. A real-world scenario is a financial institution required by regulation to retain transaction logs for a decade; Archive allows them to meet compliance while minimizing monthly storage bills.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Describe core data concepts — This question tests Describe core data concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Archive Blob Storage — Archive Blob Storage is the correct choice because it is designed for long-term retention of data that is rarely accessed, offering the lowest storage cost among Azure blob tiers. The 10-year retention requirement and 24-hour retrieval window align perfectly with Archive's capabilities, as data can be rehydrated to a hot or cool tier within hours (typically up to 15 hours for standard priority rehydration).
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company stores customer transaction data in Azure Blob Storage. The data is rarely accessed after 30 days, but must be retained for 7 years for compliance. Which access tier minimizes storage cost while meeting the retention requirement?
mediumWhy D: The Archive tier is the correct choice because it offers the lowest storage cost for data that is rarely accessed, which aligns with the scenario where data is accessed infrequently after 30 days but must be retained for 7 years. Azure Blob Storage's Archive tier is designed for long-term retention with a retrieval latency of several hours, making it cost-effective for compliance-driven data that does not require immediate access.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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