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A media company uses Azure Blob Storage for archiving large video files. These files are rarely accessed but must be retained for 7 years for compliance. The company wants the most cost-effective storage tier and a backup solution that meets the retention policy. Which Azure Blob Storage tier and backup strategy should be implemented?
- APremium block blobs with Azure Backup.
- BHot tier with daily snapshots.
- CCool tier with geo-redundant storage (GRS).
- DArchive tier with object immutability policy.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Archive tier with object immutability policy.
The Archive tier is the most cost-effective for rarely accessed, long-term data like video archives. Combining this with an object immutability policy ensures the data is retained and protected from modification or deletion for the required 7 years, meeting compliance needs.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Premium block blobs are for high-performance workloads and are very expensive for archival. Azure Backup is for VMs/databases, not typically for managing retention policies for raw Blob Storage objects.
- B. Hot tier is for frequently accessed data and is more expensive; daily snapshots are not a primary long-term archival strategy.
- C. Cool tier is for less frequently accessed data, but Archive tier is more cost-effective for very infrequent access. GRS provides redundancy but not an explicit retention policy for compliance, and retrieval costs from Cool can still be high for very long retention.
Azure Blob Storage Archive Tier & Immutability
Azure Blob Storage Archive tier offers the lowest cost for rarely accessed, long-term data. Object immutability policies ensure data retention and protection from alteration for compliance.
- Archive tier: lowest storage cost, highest retrieval cost/latency.
- Ideal for long-term data retention (e.g., 7 years).
- Object immutability (WORM) ensures compliance by preventing deletion/modification.
Memory trick: Archive + Immutability: Store long, secure strong.