Microsoft Azure Architect Design (AZ-301) Practice Exam

The most effective way to optimize storage costs for infrequently accessed data in Azure is through the use of Azure Blob Storage access tiers. Azure Blob Storage offers several access tiers—hot, cool, and archive—allowing users to store data based on how frequently it is accessed. The hot tier is most appropriate for data that is accessed frequently, while the cool and archive tiers are designed for data that is accessed less often or rarely.

The cool tier is suited for data that is infrequently accessed and stored for at least 30 days, offering lower costs compared to the hot tier but still ensuring that the data is readily available. The archive tier provides even greater cost savings for data that can tolerate longer retrieval times—data stored in this tier is less expensive but requires a longer period to access, as it needs to be rehydrated before it can be used. This tiering strategy allows organizations to effectively manage costs while ensuring data is available when needed, making it optimal for infrequently accessed data storage.

In contrast, other options may not specifically target cost optimization for infrequently accessed data. Archiving data using Azure File Storage may not provide the same flexibility or cost efficiency as the Blob Storage access tiers. While data compression techniques do reduce the size of data