AZ-305 Question 91
Single answerYou are designing a data storage solution for a media production company that retains large volumes of video assets. The assets are actively accessed within the first month after creation, then only needed occasionally. However, the company must preserve the data for 5 years to comply with industry regulations. At the same time, they want to control storage costs but still ensure that they can quickly retrieve any asset on demand. Which Azure storage approach best meets these requirements for both cost savings and on-demand access?
- A
Use a single Hot Access tier in Azure Blob Storage for all video assets to ensure immediate retrieval at all times.
- B
Store the video assets on Azure Managed Disks attached to a virtual machine file server for complete control and performance consistency.
- C
Use Azure Blob Storage with lifecycle policies to move data from the Hot tier to the Cool tier after one month, retaining the option to move data to Archive if needed later.
- D
Place all video files on Azure Files Premium shares for low-latency access and to meet compliance requirements.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Azure Blob Storage with lifecycle management is a recommended best practice for data that has a predictable change in usage patterns over time. By automatically transitioning from Hot to Cool (and potentially Archive) tiers, you minimize costs without losing the ability to retrieve data on demand. Refer to Azure documentation on lifecycle management (https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/storage/blobs/storage-lifecycle-management-concepts) for best practices and detailed configuration guidelines.
- A. Incorrect.
Option 1 (Incorrect): Using only the Hot tier ensures quick access but is expensive for long-term storage, especially when data is rarely accessed after the first month. Relying solely on the Hot tier does not optimize costs.
- B. Incorrect.
Option 2 (Incorrect): Azure Managed Disks attached to a VM can provide good performance, but this approach quickly becomes expensive at large scale and doesn't natively offer lifecycle tiering for cost optimization. It also introduces VM management overhead.
- C. Correct.
Option 3 (Correct): Azure Blob Storage with lifecycle management policies allows you to automatically move data from the Hot tier to the Cool tier after a period of high access, balancing cost and performance. You can further move data to the Archive tier for additional cost savings, while still having the option to restore as needed.
- D. Incorrect.
Option 4 (Incorrect): Azure Files Premium shares offer high performance but are not cost-optimized for large volumes of seldom-accessed data. This makes it a less suitable choice for long-term archival needs.