The answer is to configure data collection rules to send non-critical logs to the Basic Logs tier and to scope analytics rules to run only on high-value data sources. This combination directly reduces Sentinel ingestion costs because the Basic Logs tier offers a lower ingestion price for verbose, low-signal data, while scoping analytics rules minimizes the volume of data scanned during query execution, cutting both storage and processing expenses without sacrificing security visibility. On the SC-200 exam, this scenario tests your ability to balance cost optimization with operational requirements, often appearing as a distractor where candidates mistakenly choose to disable all non-critical connectors or reduce retention to zero—both of which break visibility. A common trap is thinking that lowering retention is the primary cost-saver, but ingestion volume is the real driver. Remember the mnemonic “Scope and Tier” to recall that you scope rules to high-value sources and tier non-critical logs to Basic.
SC-200 Manage a security operations environment Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of manage a security operations environment. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
You are managing a Microsoft Sentinel workspace that ingests data from multiple sources. You need to reduce the cost of log ingestion while maintaining security visibility. Which two actions should you take?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable analytics rules to run only on high-value data sources.
Option C is correct because enabling analytics rules to run only on high-value data sources reduces the volume of data that must be queried and processed, directly lowering ingestion and analytics costs while preserving security visibility on critical logs. In Microsoft Sentinel, analytics rules incur costs based on the data scanned; by scoping rules to high-value sources, you avoid unnecessary processing of low-signal data.
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.
✗
Remove all custom log connectors that are not used frequently.
Why it's wrong here
Removing connectors reduces visibility.
✗
Increase the retention period for all tables to 90 days to avoid data loss.
Why it's wrong here
Retention affects storage, not ingestion.
✓
Enable analytics rules to run only on high-value data sources.
Why this is correct
Correct: Focusing rules on critical data reduces processing cost.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Configure data collection rules to send non-critical logs to the Basic Logs tier.
Why this is correct
Correct: Basic Logs tier reduces ingestion cost.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use compression algorithms in Log Analytics to reduce log size.
Why it's wrong here
Compression is automatic, not configurable.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse reducing ingestion cost with reducing storage cost, leading them to choose retention-related options (B) or connector removal (A) instead of focusing on data tiering and query scoping.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Microsoft Sentinel’s Basic Logs tier stores data at a lower cost with reduced query capabilities (e.g., no Kusto Query Language full-text search), making it ideal for verbose, low-security-value logs like firewall flow logs or DNS debug logs. Data collection rules (DCRs) in Azure Monitor allow granular routing of specific log streams to either Analytics or Basic Logs tables, enabling cost optimization without losing the ability to audit or investigate when needed. In a real-world scenario, you might route Windows Event Logs (Security) to Analytics Logs for real-time detection, while routing IIS web logs to Basic Logs for occasional forensic review.
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 SC-200 question in full detail.
Manage a security operations environment — This question tests Manage a security operations environment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable analytics rules to run only on high-value data sources. — Option C is correct because enabling analytics rules to run only on high-value data sources reduces the volume of data that must be queried and processed, directly lowering ingestion and analytics costs while preserving security visibility on critical logs. In Microsoft Sentinel, analytics rules incur costs based on the data scanned; by scoping rules to high-value sources, you avoid unnecessary processing of low-signal data.
What should I do if I get this SC-200 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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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. Your organization has a Microsoft Sentinel workspace that ingests data from multiple sources. You notice that the cost of data ingestion is higher than expected. You need to reduce costs without affecting security visibility. Which action should you take?
hard
A.Reduce the data retention period for all tables to 30 days.
B.Disable the collection of Windows event logs from domain controllers.
✓ C.Configure specific tables to use the Basic Logs tier instead of Analytics Logs.
D.Export logs to Azure Storage and use Azure Data Explorer for analysis.
Why C: Basic Logs in Microsoft Sentinel are a lower-cost option for high-volume, verbose logs that are used for infrequent querying. Option B is correct because you can move verbose logs (e.g., from VMs) to Basic Logs tier. Option A (reducing retention) affects visibility. Option C (turning off connectors) reduces visibility. Option D (using Azure Storage) is not integrated with Sentinel for queries.
Variation 2. You are responsible for Microsoft Sentinel pricing. You notice that data ingestion costs are high due to verbose logs from Windows security events. You need to reduce costs while still collecting critical security events. What should you do?
hard
A.Use Common Event Format (CEF) connector instead of Windows Events
B.Change the table plan to Basic Logs
C.Increase the workspace retention period to archive warm data
✓ D.Configure Windows Security Events via AMA connector with event filtering
Why D: Option D is correct because the Azure Monitor Agent (AMA) connector for Windows Security Events allows granular filtering of event IDs and levels, enabling you to collect only critical security events (e.g., 4624, 4625) while excluding verbose logs like Event ID 5156 (Windows Filtering Platform permit connections). This reduces ingestion volume and cost without losing essential security visibility.
Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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This SC-200 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SC-200 exam.
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