Microsoft Azure Data FundamentalsDescribe how to work with non-relational data on AzureEasy
A financial institution needs to store audit logs for regulatory compliance. These logs are generated continuously, must be retained for seven years, and are accessed very infrequently, typically only for audits. When accessed, retrieval time can be several hours. Which Azure Blob Storage access tier is the most cost-effective for this scenario?
- AArchive
- BPremium
- CHot
- DCool
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Archive
The Archive access tier is designed for rarely accessed data with flexible latency requirements (hours). It offers the lowest storage costs, making it ideal for long-term retention of audit logs that are infrequently accessed but require extended retention periods.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Premium tier is for high-performance, low-latency applications, significantly more expensive and unnecessary for audit logs.
- C. Hot tier is for frequently accessed data, which is too expensive for this scenario.
- D. Cool tier is for infrequently accessed data (30+ days), but retrieval costs and latency are higher than Archive for very rare access.
Azure Blob Storage Archive Tier
The lowest-cost storage tier for Azure Blob Storage, optimized for rarely accessed data with flexible latency requirements (hours).
- Lowest storage cost, highest retrieval cost.
- Retrieval time can be several hours.
- Ideal for long-term backups, archives, and compliance data.
Memory trick: Hot for now, Cool for later, Archive for never.