Storage tiers (Hot, Cool, Archive) in Azure - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the Hot storage tier in Azure Storage?

The Hot tier is designed for data that is accessed frequently. It offers the lowest latency and highest availability but at a higher storage cost compared to other tiers.

beginner

Describe the Cool storage tier in Azure Storage.

The Cool tier is meant for data that is infrequently accessed but needs to be available immediately when requested. It has lower storage costs than Hot but higher access costs.

beginner

What is the Archive storage tier used for in Azure Storage?

The Archive tier is for data that is rarely accessed and can tolerate several hours of retrieval latency. It has the lowest storage cost but the highest cost and delay for data retrieval.

intermediate

Which Azure Storage tier should you choose for backup data that you rarely access?

You should choose the Archive tier because it offers the lowest storage cost for data that is rarely accessed and can tolerate retrieval delays.

intermediate

How do storage costs and access costs compare across Hot, Cool, and Archive tiers?

Hot tier has the highest storage cost but lowest access cost. Cool tier has moderate storage cost and moderate access cost. Archive tier has the lowest storage cost but highest access cost and retrieval latency.

Which Azure Storage tier is best for data accessed daily?

A Hot

B Cool

C Archive

D Premium

The Hot tier is optimized for frequent access, making it best for daily accessed data.

What is a key characteristic of the Archive tier?

A Immediate data availability

B Highest storage cost

C Lowest storage cost with high retrieval latency

D Designed for frequent data updates

Archive tier offers the lowest storage cost but data retrieval can take hours.

Which tier has higher access costs but lower storage costs?

A Hot

B Archive

C Cool

D Standard

Archive tier has low storage costs but higher costs when accessing data.

If you need to store data for months but access it rarely, which tier is most cost-effective?

A Premium

B Hot

C Archive

D Cool

Cool tier balances lower storage costs with immediate availability for infrequent access.

What happens if you try to access data in the Archive tier?

A Data retrieval takes several hours

B Data is moved to Hot tier automatically

C Data is deleted automatically

D Data is available instantly

Archive tier data retrieval requires a rehydration process that can take hours.

Explain the differences between Hot, Cool, and Archive storage tiers in Azure.

Think about how often you use the data and how quickly you need it.

When would you choose the Cool tier over Hot or Archive tiers?

Consider data you don't use daily but need quickly when requested.

Practice

1. Which Azure Storage tier is best for data that you need to access frequently and quickly?

easy

A. Premium tier

B. Cool tier

C. Archive tier

D. Hot tier

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand storage tier purposes

   The Hot tier is designed for data that is accessed often and requires fast retrieval.

2. Step 2: Compare with other tiers

   Cool tier is for infrequent access, Archive is for rarely accessed data, and Premium is a performance option but not a tier for access frequency.

3. Final Answer:

   Hot tier -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Frequent access = Hot tier [OK]

Hint: Hot tier = frequent access, fastest retrieval [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing Cool tier with Hot tier
• Thinking Archive tier is for frequent access
• Assuming Premium tier is a storage access tier

2. Which of the following is the correct way to specify the Archive tier for a blob in Azure Storage using Azure CLI?

easy

A. az storage account set-tier --tier Archive

B. az storage blob set-tier --tier Hot

C. az storage blob set-tier --tier Archive

D. az storage blob update --tier Cool

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify correct command for blob tier

   The command to set a blob's tier is az storage blob set-tier.

2. Step 2: Choose correct tier parameter

   To set the Archive tier, use --tier Archive. Setting tier on storage account level is invalid.

3. Final Answer:

   az storage blob set-tier --tier Archive -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Blob tier set with az storage blob set-tier [OK]

Hint: Use az storage blob set-tier for Archive tier [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to set tier on storage account instead of blob
• Using wrong command like az storage blob update
• Confusing tier names or casing

3. Consider this Azure Storage blob lifecycle rule snippet:

{
  "rules": [
    {
      "name": "moveToCool",
      "type": "Lifecycle",
      "definition": {
        "actions": {
          "baseBlob": {
            "tierToCool": { "daysAfterModificationGreaterThan": 30 }
          }
        },
        "filters": { "blobTypes": ["blockBlob"] }
      }
    }
  ]
}

What happens to blobs older than 30 days?

medium

A. They are moved to Hot tier

B. They are moved to Cool tier

C. They are deleted

D. They are moved to Archive tier

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze lifecycle rule action

   The rule specifies tierToCool for blobs modified more than 30 days ago.

2. Step 2: Understand effect on blobs

   Blobs older than 30 days are automatically moved to the Cool tier to save cost.

3. Final Answer:

   They are moved to Cool tier -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   30+ days old blobs -> Cool tier [OK]

Hint: tierToCool means move blobs older than X days to Cool [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming blobs move to Archive instead of Cool
• Thinking blobs are deleted by this rule
• Confusing tierToCool with tierToHot

4. You try to set the Archive tier on an entire Azure Storage account but get an error. What is the likely cause?

medium

A. Archive tier can only be set on individual blobs, not on the whole account

B. You must enable Archive tier feature in the portal first

C. Archive tier requires Premium storage account type

D. Archive tier is only for file shares, not blobs

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall Archive tier scope

   Archive tier is applied per blob, not at the storage account level.

2. Step 2: Understand error cause

   Trying to set Archive tier on the whole account causes an error because it's unsupported.

3. Final Answer:

   Archive tier can only be set on individual blobs, not on the whole account -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Archive tier scope = per blob [OK]

Hint: Archive tier applies only to blobs, not entire account [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking Archive tier needs special enablement
• Assuming Archive tier requires Premium account
• Confusing Archive tier with file share tiers

5. A company stores large video files that are rarely accessed but must be retained for years. They want to minimize storage costs but can tolerate hours of retrieval delay. Which Azure Storage tier strategy should they use?

hard

A. Store videos directly in Archive tier

B. Store videos in Cool tier and move to Archive after 90 days

C. Store videos in Hot tier for fast access

D. Store videos in Premium tier for best performance

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify access frequency and cost needs

   Videos are rarely accessed and cost minimization is priority, so Archive tier fits best.

2. Step 2: Consider retrieval delay tolerance

   Archive tier retrieval can take hours, which is acceptable here.

3. Step 3: Evaluate other options

   Hot tier is costly, Cool tier is more expensive than Archive, Premium is for performance, not cost saving.

4. Final Answer:

   Store videos directly in Archive tier -> Option A

5. Quick Check:

   Rare access + low cost = Archive tier [OK]

Hint: Rarely accessed + low cost = Archive tier [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing Hot or Premium tier for rarely accessed data
• Using Cool tier without moving to Archive
• Ignoring retrieval delay tolerance