Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect ExpertDesign business continuity solutionsHard
A research institution stores large volumes of scientific data in Azure Blob Storage. This data is rarely accessed after its initial upload but must be retained for regulatory compliance for 10 years. The institution requires the lowest possible storage cost for this long-term retention, while still being able to retrieve data if necessary, albeit with potentially higher retrieval costs and latency. Immutability is also a key requirement to prevent accidental or malicious modification. Which combination of Blob Storage tier and immutability policy should be used?
- AArchive tier with versioning enabled.
- BArchive tier with time-based retention policy.
- CCool tier with legal hold.
- DHot tier with time-based retention policy.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Archive tier with time-based retention policy.
The Archive tier offers the lowest storage cost for data that is rarely accessed, making it ideal for long-term retention. A time-based retention policy for immutability ensures that data cannot be deleted or modified for the specified period (10 years) to meet compliance requirements.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Versioning tracks changes but does not prevent modification or deletion of the original blob, and while Archive tier is correct for cost, versioning doesn't fulfill the immutability requirement.
- C. Cool tier is for less frequently accessed data than Hot, but still more expensive than Archive. Legal hold is for indefinite retention, but a time-based policy is specified.
- D. Hot tier is for frequently accessed data and is the most expensive, not suitable for rarely accessed data.
Azure Blob Storage Archive Tier & Immutability
The Azure Blob Storage Archive tier is optimized for rarely accessed, long-term data at the lowest storage cost. Immutability policies (time-based retention or legal hold) prevent modification or deletion of data for compliance.
- Archive tier: lowest storage cost, highest access latency and cost.
- Time-based retention: locks data for a specified duration.
- Legal hold: locks data until the hold is explicitly removed.
- Ensures compliance and protection against data tampering.
Memory trick: Archive your data with a Time-Based Lock for long-term compliance.