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. 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 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?
Why wrong: Hot tier is optimized for frequent access and has the highest storage cost, not suitable for rarely accessed data.
B
Cool
Why wrong: Cool tier is for infrequently accessed data but has higher storage cost than Cold or Archive.
C
Cold
Why wrong: Cold tier is for very infrequent access and has lower storage cost than Cool, but Archive is even cheaper for rarely accessed data that can tolerate longer retrieval times.
D
Archive
Archive tier has the lowest storage cost and is designed for data that is rarely accessed. Data can be read when needed, but retrieval takes hours, which is acceptable given the requirements.
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.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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
Hot tier is optimized for frequent access and has the highest storage cost, not suitable for rarely accessed data.
✗
Cool
Why it's wrong here
Cool tier is for infrequently accessed data but has higher storage cost than Cold or Archive.
✗
Cold
Why it's wrong here
Cold tier is for very infrequent access and has lower storage cost than Cool, but Archive is even cheaper for rarely accessed data that can tolerate longer retrieval times.
✓
Archive
Why this is correct
Archive tier has the lowest storage cost and is designed for data that is rarely accessed. Data can be read when needed, but retrieval takes hours, which is acceptable given the requirements.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often 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.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the Archive tier stores data in an offline state, meaning the blob is not immediately accessible via HTTP/HTTPS; it must be rehydrated by changing the access tier to Hot, Cool, or Cold, which can take from 1 to 15 hours depending on the rehydration priority (Standard or High). A real-world scenario where this matters is regulatory compliance for financial logs: the Archive tier allows organizations to meet retention requirements (e.g., 7 years) at minimal cost, but they must plan for the rehydration delay if an audit requires immediate access. Additionally, the Archive tier has a minimum storage duration of 180 days, so early deletion incurs an early deletion fee, which is important for cost planning.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
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
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure — This question tests Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: 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.
What should I do if I get this DP-900 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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