- A
Configure Basic logs for high-volume, low-value data sources.
Correct. Basic logs provide a lower-cost ingestion tier for high-volume, low-value logs, directly reducing ingestion cost.
- B
Use analytics rules with efficient KQL queries to reduce false positives.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Efficient KQL queries reduce false positives but do not affect the volume of data ingested into Sentinel.
- C
Set a daily ingestion cap on the Log Analytics workspace.
Correct. A daily ingestion cap limits the total data ingested per day, controlling costs by preventing over-ingestion.
- D
Enable Sentinel on premium storage accounts.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Enabling Sentinel on premium storage accounts does not reduce ingestion costs; it is unrelated to data ingestion.
- E
Increase the data retention period to 90 days.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Increasing retention increases storage costs, not ingestion costs.
SC-200 Manage a security operations environment Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of manage a security operations environment. 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.
Which THREE of the following are valid methods to reduce the cost of Microsoft Sentinel data ingestion?
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
Configure Basic logs for high-volume, low-value data sources.
A is correct because Basic logs offer a lower ingestion cost (approximately 25% of the cost of Analytics logs) for high-volume, low-value data sources such as verbose firewall logs or debug events. By routing these logs to the Basic log table tier, you reduce the per-GB ingestion charge while still retaining the data for security investigations when needed. C is correct because setting a daily ingestion cap on the Log Analytics workspace prevents ingestion beyond a specified limit, thereby controlling costs. B is incorrect because using analytics rules with efficient KQL queries only reduces false positives in alerts, but does not reduce the volume of data ingested; ingestion cost is based on data volume, not alert volume. D is incorrect because enabling Sentinel on premium storage accounts does not reduce ingestion costs; it may increase costs. E is incorrect because increasing the data retention period increases storage costs, not ingestion costs.
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.
- ✓
Configure Basic logs for high-volume, low-value data sources.
Why this is correct
Correct. Basic logs provide a lower-cost ingestion tier for high-volume, low-value logs, directly reducing ingestion cost.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use analytics rules with efficient KQL queries to reduce false positives.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Efficient KQL queries reduce false positives but do not affect the volume of data ingested into Sentinel.
- ✓
Set a daily ingestion cap on the Log Analytics workspace.
Why this is correct
Correct. A daily ingestion cap limits the total data ingested per day, controlling costs by preventing over-ingestion.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable Sentinel on premium storage accounts.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Enabling Sentinel on premium storage accounts does not reduce ingestion costs; it is unrelated to data ingestion.
- ✗
Increase the data retention period to 90 days.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Increasing retention increases storage costs, not ingestion costs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse data retention costs with ingestion costs, assuming that lowering retention (or increasing it) directly reduces the cost of bringing data into Sentinel, when in fact ingestion volume is the primary cost driver and retention is a separate storage charge.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Basic logs use a separate table schema (e.g., 'Basic_AWSCloudTrail' or custom tables) and support only simple queries (KQL with no joins or cross-workspace queries), which reduces indexing and query processing overhead. This tier is ideal for data that is rarely queried but must be available for compliance or forensic purposes, and it can be upgraded to Analytics logs on a per-table basis if deeper analysis is needed later.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-200 question test?
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: Configure Basic logs for high-volume, low-value data sources. — A is correct because Basic logs offer a lower ingestion cost (approximately 25% of the cost of Analytics logs) for high-volume, low-value data sources such as verbose firewall logs or debug events. By routing these logs to the Basic log table tier, you reduce the per-GB ingestion charge while still retaining the data for security investigations when needed. C is correct because setting a daily ingestion cap on the Log Analytics workspace prevents ingestion beyond a specified limit, thereby controlling costs. B is incorrect because using analytics rules with efficient KQL queries only reduces false positives in alerts, but does not reduce the volume of data ingested; ingestion cost is based on data volume, not alert volume. D is incorrect because enabling Sentinel on premium storage accounts does not reduce ingestion costs; it may increase costs. E is incorrect because increasing the data retention period increases storage costs, not ingestion costs.
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 →
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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