The answer is the Archive tier. This is the correct choice because it offers the lowest storage cost per gigabyte of any Azure Blob Storage access tier, making it the most cost-effective Azure Blob Storage tier for rarely accessed archival data that must be retained for a decade with only occasional retrieval. On the Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals DP-900 exam, this question tests your understanding of how access frequency drives tier selection; a common trap is confusing the Cool or Cold tiers, which have higher storage costs but lower retrieval penalties, with the Archive tier’s extreme cost trade-off. Remember that Archive is designed for data accessed less than once a year, like legal documents, where the high retrieval cost and time (hours) are acceptable for the massive storage savings. A simple memory tip: “Archive for annual access, Cool for monthly, Hot for daily.”
DP-900 Practice Question: Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure
This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe considerations for working with non-relational data on azure. 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. A key principle to apply: archive tier offers the lowest storage cost for Azure Blob Storage.. 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 company archives legal documents that must be kept for 10 years. Access to these documents is extremely rare (maybe once a year). They want to minimize storage costs. Which Azure Blob Storage access tier is most cost-effective for this data?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
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 the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Archive tier
The Archive tier is the most cost-effective for data that is accessed less than once a year and must be retained for a long period (10 years). It offers the lowest storage cost per GB among all Azure Blob Storage access tiers, but has the highest access and data retrieval costs, making it ideal for rarely accessed, long-term archival data like legal documents.
Key principle: Archive tier offers the lowest storage cost for Azure Blob Storage.
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 tier
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Hot tier is optimized for frequent access and has the highest storage cost.
✗
Cool tier
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Cool tier is for data accessed infrequently (30+ days) but still costs more than Archive.
✗
Cold tier
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Cold tier is for data accessed less than a few times per year, but Archive is the lowest cost option.
✓
Archive tier
Why this is correct
Correct. Archive tier offers the lowest storage cost for data that is rarely accessed and for which retrieval latency (hours) is acceptable.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Archive tier offers the lowest storage cost for Azure Blob Storage.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose the Cool or Cold tier because they think 'infrequent' or 'rare' access matches those tiers, but they overlook the Archive tier's significantly lower storage cost for data that is accessed less than once a year and has a long retention period.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The Archive tier has a 180-day minimum storage duration and a data retrieval time of up to 15 hours (via standard rehydration), which is acceptable for legal documents accessed only once a year. Under the hood, Archive data is stored on offline tape or optical media, and rehydration moves the blob to Hot or Cool tier before access, incurring both read and data transfer costs. In a real-world scenario, a legal firm might use lifecycle management policies to automatically move blobs from Hot to Cool to Cold to Archive over the 10-year retention period, minimizing costs while ensuring compliance.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Archive tier offers the lowest storage cost for Azure Blob Storage.
Data in the Archive tier has retrieval latency measured in hours.
It is ideal for long-term retention of rarely accessed data.
Minimum retention period for Archive tier is 180 days.
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
Archive tier offers the lowest storage cost for Azure Blob Storage.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this DP-900 question in full detail.
Review archive tier offers the lowest storage cost for Azure Blob Storage., then practise related DP-900 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure — This question tests Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure — Archive tier offers the lowest storage cost for Azure Blob Storage..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Archive tier — The Archive tier is the most cost-effective for data that is accessed less than once a year and must be retained for a long period (10 years). It offers the lowest storage cost per GB among all Azure Blob Storage access tiers, but has the highest access and data retrieval costs, making it ideal for rarely accessed, long-term archival data like legal documents.
What should I do if I get this DP-900 question wrong?
Review archive tier offers the lowest storage cost for Azure Blob Storage., then practise related DP-900 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Archive tier offers the lowest storage cost for Azure Blob Storage.
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