Microsoft Azure Data FundamentalsDescribe how to work with non-relational data on AzureEasy
A research institution stores petabytes of raw scientific data, including high-resolution images, video files, and experimental results. This data is rarely accessed after initial ingestion but must be retained for regulatory compliance and potential future analysis for decades. Which Azure Blob Storage access tier is the most cost-effective for this scenario?
- ACool
- BArchive
- CHot
- DPremium
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Archive
The Archive tier is the most cost-effective for rarely accessed, long-term data storage. While it has higher retrieval costs and latency, its storage cost is significantly lower, making it ideal for archival purposes.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Cool tier is for infrequently accessed data but still has higher storage costs than Archive.
- C. Hot tier is for frequently accessed data and has higher storage costs.
- D. Premium tier is for high-performance, low-latency scenarios, not cost-effective for archival.
Azure Blob Storage Archive Tier
The lowest-cost storage tier for Azure Blob Storage, optimized for rarely accessed, long-term data with flexible latency requirements.
- Lowest storage cost, highest retrieval costs.
- High latency for data retrieval (hours).
- Ideal for compliance, backups, and long-term archives.
Memory trick: Hot for quick, Cool for sometimes, Archive for forever.