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 company needs to store archived log files that are rarely accessed but must be retained for regulatory compliance. The logs are text-based and each file is about 10 MB. They want the lowest storage cost while ensuring the data is durable and can be read when needed. Which Azure Blob Storage access tier should they choose?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse 'Cold' with 'Archive' because both are low-cost tiers, but Cold is still an online tier with immediate access and higher cost, while Archive is the only offline tier designed for true archival storage with the lowest cost but significant retrieval latency.
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
✓
Archive
The Archive tier is the correct choice because it offers the lowest storage cost for data that is rarely accessed and must be retained for long periods. Archived log files that are text-based and 10 MB each fit this profile perfectly, as the Archive tier is designed for data that can tolerate a retrieval latency of several hours (up to 15 hours for standard priority) while providing the same high durability (99.9999999999% or 11 nines) as other tiers. The data remains fully durable and can be read when needed by first rehydrating it to an online tier (Hot, Cool, or Cold) before access.
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
Why it's wrong here
The Hot tier is optimized for blobs accessed frequently, charging the highest storage price and providing millisecond latency, which is ideal for active workloads. Since these log files are rarely accessed, paying premium storage costs for immediate reads is economically wasteful. The Archive tier, by contrast, is far cheaper for dormant data and still permits retrieval when needed, making Hot the opposite of the correct cost-optimized choice.
- ✗
Cool
Why it's wrong here
Cool is a lower-cost tier for data accessed infrequently, but it still has a per-GB storage price higher than both Cold and Archive, plus retrieval charges per gigabyte and per operation. These archived log files are rarely read, so storing them on Cool incurs unnecessary ongoing storage costs without any benefit, because its low-latency reads are irrelevant for data that will seldom be accessed. The Archive tier provides the minimal storage cost for this scenario.
- ✗
Cold
Why it's wrong here
Cold tier is designed for very infrequent access, with a storage price lower than Cool but still higher than Archive, and it keeps blobs online for immediate retrieval. While Cold appears close to the requirement, Archive offers the lowest possible storage cost and still allows the log files to be rehydrated and read whenever a compliance or audit need arises. The offline Archive tier is the better match for archived logs that must be retained and only occasionally accessed.
- ✓
Archive
Why this is correct
Archive is an offline tier with the lowest storage cost in Azure Blob Storage, specifically built for long-term retention of data that is rarely accessed. To read archived log files, you first rehydrate them to an online tier, a process that typically takes minutes to hours, but that latency is completely acceptable given the access pattern described. This combination of minimal cost and the ability to eventually retrieve the data makes Archive the correct choice.
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
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.
Key term
Data
Data is raw, unprocessed information, like numbers, words, or measurements, that can be stored, processed, and analyzed by computers.
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