Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management and eDiscovery Legal Hold
A compliance officer needs to retain customer records for 7 years and then automatically delete them. However, during an ongoing legal case, the legal team must preserve specific documents indefinitely without affecting the retention policy for other documents. Which combination of Microsoft Purview solutions should the company use?
Quick Answer
The answer is Data Lifecycle Management and eDiscovery. This combination is correct because Data Lifecycle Management (DLM) enforces a retention policy—such as keeping customer records for 7 years and then automatically deleting them—while eDiscovery allows you to place a legal hold on specific documents, preserving them indefinitely without overriding the broader retention rules. On the Microsoft SC-900 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how these two Purview solutions work together to meet both compliance and litigation requirements. A common trap is assuming a single policy can handle both automatic deletion and indefinite preservation, but DLM handles the time-based lifecycle, and eDiscovery holds provide the targeted legal freeze. For a memory tip, think of DLM as the “timer” that deletes data on schedule, and eDiscovery as the “pause button” that freezes only the documents under legal review.
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse Records Management (which can also apply retention and deletion) with Data Lifecycle Management, but Records Management lacks the legal hold capability that eDiscovery provides for preserving specific documents during litigation.
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
✓
Data Lifecycle Management and eDiscovery
Data Lifecycle Management (DLM) allows you to define retention policies (e.g., 7 years) and then automatically delete data at the end of that period. eDiscovery (specifically, eDiscovery holds) lets you place a legal hold on specific documents, preserving them indefinitely without altering the broader retention policy. Together, they meet both the automatic deletion requirement and the need to preserve documents during litigation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Data Lifecycle Management and eDiscovery
Why this is correct
Data Lifecycle Management sets the retention and deletion policy. eDiscovery allows legal holds to preserve specific content for litigation without altering the retention policy.
- ✗
Records Management and Audit
Why it's wrong here
Records Management manages records declarations and disposition, but legal holds are handled by eDiscovery, not audit. Audit provides logging but not holds.
- ✗
Information Protection and Data Loss Prevention
Why it's wrong here
Information Protection (sensitivity labels) and DLP prevent unauthorized sharing and access, but do not enforce retention/deletion or legal holds.
- ✗
Communication Compliance and Insider Risk Management
Why it's wrong here
Communication Compliance monitors communications for policy violations, and Insider Risk Management detects risky user activities, neither provides retention or legal holds.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Compliance Concepts
Key term
Microsoft Purview
Microsoft Purview is a unified data governance and compliance service that helps organizations discover, manage, and protect their data across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.
Key term
General Data Protection Regulation
A European Union law that gives individuals control over their personal data and sets strict rules for how organizations collect, store, and process that data.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on SC-900
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. Which TWO Microsoft Purview compliance solutions are used to manage data retention and deletion?
easy- ✓ A.Data Lifecycle Management
- B.Data Loss Prevention
- ✓ C.Records Management
- D.Communication Compliance
- E.Audit
Why A: Data Lifecycle Management (A) is correct because it enables organizations to apply retention and deletion policies to content based on its age or classification, automatically managing data across SharePoint, OneDrive, Exchange, and Teams. Records Management (C) is correct because it provides a solution for declaring records, applying retention labels that lock content to prevent modification or deletion, and managing disposition reviews for permanent deletion. Both solutions are part of Microsoft Purview's information governance capabilities, specifically designed to control data retention and deletion.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SC-900 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-900 exam.