AZ-305 Question 86
Single answerA media streaming startup needs to store large volumes of unstructured video files that are seldom accessed after their initial release. However, users occasionally request older videos, so they want to keep them retrievable without incurring high storage costs. Which Azure-based solution would you recommend to meet these requirements?
- A
Use Azure Blob Storage with lifecycle management policies to move older files to cooler tiers
- B
Use Azure Table Storage to store video blobs in tabular format for cost savings
- C
Use Azure Files with premium file shares for lower latency and high performance
- D
Use Azure Virtual Machines with attached disks to store and serve the video files
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Azure Blob Storage is the recommended service for unstructured data at scale. Its integration with lifecycle management policies provides seamless tiering from Hot to Cool or Archive tiers. This allows cost optimization for infrequently accessed data while retaining on-demand retrieval. According to Microsoft documentation, Blob Storage is well-suited for streaming media scenarios due to its high availability, global reach, and automated tiering features.
- A. Correct.
Option 1 is correct because Azure Blob Storage is optimized for storing unstructured data at scale, and lifecycle management policies automatically transition older or rarely accessed blobs to cooler or archive tiers, reducing costs without sacrificing availability.
- B. Incorrect.
Option 2 is incorrect because Azure Table Storage is a NoSQL key-value store for structured data, not large unstructured video files. While it's cost-effective, it doesn't fit the metadata or storage needs of large media files.
- C. Incorrect.
Option 3 is incorrect. While Azure Files can store unstructured data, it is typically used for SMB or NFS file share scenarios. Large-scale media storage and tiering are better served by Azure Blob Storage.
- D. Incorrect.
Option 4 is incorrect because storing large media files directly on virtual machine disks is expensive, less scalable, and requires managing storage growth and maintenance of VMs. It also lacks automated tiering capabilities.