Configure Azure Files and Azure Blob Storage
📘Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)
What Are Storage Tiers?
In Azure, storage tiers are different levels of access and cost for storing your data. The idea is simple: not all data is accessed equally. Some data is used frequently, while other data is rarely needed. Azure provides different tiers so you can optimize cost and performance.
Think of tiers as “classes” for your data:
| Tier | Use | Cost | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot | Frequently accessed data | Higher storage cost, lower access cost | Fast |
| Cool | Infrequently accessed data | Lower storage cost, higher access cost | Moderate |
| Archive | Rarely accessed or long-term data | Lowest storage cost, highest access cost | Slow (needs rehydration) |
Storage Tiers in Azure Blob Storage
1. Hot Tier
- For data you access frequently.
- Examples in IT:
- Active logs
- User-uploaded files being processed
- Frequently used backups
- Cost:
- Storage cost: Higher than cool or archive.
- Access cost: Lower (reading data is cheaper).
2. Cool Tier
- For data accessed occasionally.
- Examples in IT:
- Weekly backup files
- Older project files
- Historical logs
- Cost:
- Storage cost: Lower than hot.
- Access cost: Higher than hot (because reading is less frequent).
3. Archive Tier
- For data rarely accessed (long-term retention).
- Examples in IT:
- Yearly compliance archives
- Old logs for audit
- Long-term backups
- Cost:
- Storage cost: Lowest.
- Access cost: Highest.
- Important: Data must be rehydrated before access (can take hours).
Storage Tiers in Azure Files
Azure Files also supports tiering, but mainly for premium vs. standard storage:
- Premium file shares → High-performance SSD-backed storage (for frequently accessed data).
- Standard file shares → HDD-backed storage, suitable for infrequently accessed files.
- Within standard file shares, you can use hot and cool tiers:
- Hot → Frequent access.
- Cool → Infrequent access.
Example:
- A team shares daily project documents → Hot tier (fast access, higher cost).
- Old project documents → Cool tier (infrequent access, lower cost).
Key Points for the Exam
- Blob Storage Tiers: Hot, Cool, Archive
- Hot → Frequent access
- Cool → Infrequent access
- Archive → Rare access
- Access vs. Storage Cost
- Hot → high storage, low access cost
- Cool → medium storage, higher access cost
- Archive → lowest storage, highest access cost
- Tiering Behavior
- Data in Archive needs to be rehydrated before access.
- Blob tiers can be changed after the blob is created, but rehydration may take time.
- Azure Files
- Premium → SSD, high performance
- Standard → HDD, lower cost
- Standard supports hot and cool tiers for cost optimization.
- Exam Tip
- If the question asks for cost optimization for rarely accessed data → choose Archive (Blob) or Cool (Files).
- If it asks for frequent access performance → choose Hot (Blob) or Premium (Files).
How IT Teams Use Storage Tiers
- Backups → Archive (Blob) for long-term retention.
- Daily reports → Hot tier (Blob/File) for fast access.
- Old logs → Cool tier (Blob/File) for infrequent access.
- File shares for active teams → Premium Azure Files for high-performance collaboration.
✅ Summary Table for Exam
| Storage Type | Tiers | Use Case | Cost/Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Blob | Hot | Active data | High storage, low access cost |
| Cool | Infrequent access | Lower storage, higher access cost | |
| Archive | Rarely accessed, long-term storage | Lowest storage, highest access cost, needs rehydration | |
| Azure Files | Premium | Frequent access, high performance | High performance, higher cost |
| Standard (Hot) | Frequently accessed files | Moderate cost, standard performance | |
| Standard (Cool) | Infrequently accessed files | Lower cost, standard performance |
This covers everything you need to understand and answer any exam question about storage tiers in Azure Files and Blob Storage.
