Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect (SC-100)Design security for infrastructureEasy
A security architect is reviewing the data retention policy for an Azure Blob Storage account that stores audit logs. The current policy is set to indefinitely retain all logs. Due to compliance requirements and cost optimization, the architect needs to implement a lifecycle management policy that moves logs older than 90 days to a cooler storage tier and deletes logs older than 365 days. Which storage tier should be used for logs older than 90 days before eventual deletion?
- APremium Blob Storage
- BCool Storage
- CHot Storage
- DArchive Storage
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Cool Storage
Cool storage is optimized for storing data that is infrequently accessed and stored for at least 30 days. It offers lower storage costs and higher access costs compared to hot storage, making it suitable for audit logs that are still needed for compliance but accessed less frequently after 90 days.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Premium Blob Storage is for high-performance, low-latency applications, which is not suitable for infrequently accessed audit logs.
- C. Hot storage is for frequently accessed data, which would be more expensive than necessary for logs older than 90 days.
- D. Archive storage is for rarely accessed data with flexible latency requirements (hours), typically for very long-term retention or compliance. While logs older than 365 days might eventually go here before deletion, Cool is the appropriate intermediate step for logs older than 90 days that might still be occasionally accessed.
Azure Blob Storage Tiers
Azure Blob Storage offers different access tiers (Hot, Cool, Archive) to optimize costs based on data access patterns and retention needs.
- Hot: Frequently accessed data, higher storage cost, lower access cost.
- Cool: Infrequently accessed data (30+ days), lower storage cost, higher access cost.
- Archive: Rarely accessed data (180+ days), lowest storage cost, highest access cost (latency in hours).
Memory trick: Hot, Cool, Archive: The data temperature zones.