When managing data in Azure Blob Storage, choosing the right access tier is essential for balancing performance and cost. Azure provides three main tiers: Hot, Cool, and Archive, each suited for different data usage patterns.
What Are Azure Storage Tiers?
Storage tiers allow you to organize your data based on how often it is accessed. This gives you the flexibility to optimize for performance and cost. You can set these tiers at the storage account level or at the individual blob level, offering a high degree of control.
Hot Tier
The Hot tier is designed for data that you access frequently.
- Ideal for active datasets.
- Higher storage costs, but lowest access costs.
- Best for files that are read and written often.
- Can be configured at both the blob and storage account levels.
Cool Tier
The Cool tier is optimized for data that is not accessed frequently, but still needs to be available immediately when required.
- Suitable for data stored for at least 30 days.
- Lower storage costs, but higher access costs.
- Early deletion (before 30 days) incurs a penalty charge.
- Often used for backup files or older datasets.
You can automate movement to this tier using Lifecycle Management rules.
Archive Tier
The Archive tier is meant for rarely accessed data that is retained for long periods.
- Minimum retention is 180 days.
- Lowest storage cost, but highest retrieval and latency.
- Data must be rehydrated before it can be read or modified.
- Rehydration can take hours, although small files are faster.
- Early deletion (before 180 days) also incurs a penalty.
Data in the Archive tier:
- Cannot be read or modified until rehydrated.
- Can be listed, so metadata and file names are still accessible.
Tier Configuration and Automation
- Hot and Cool tiers can be set as the default for the entire storage account.
- These defaults can be overridden per blob, so individual blobs can have their own tier.
- Lifecycle Management policies can automatically move blobs between tiers based on rules like last modified date or file size.
For additional automation and control, see #53# on Azure Resource Manager and #50# on Azure CLI and PowerShell tools.
Summary
Choosing the right Azure storage tier helps you manage both cost and performance. Use the Hot tier for high-access data, the Cool tier for backup or infrequently used data, and the Archive tier for long-term, rarely accessed storage.
Click here for more information about Storage Tiers.
To see real-life demonstrations of how to implement these storage options effectively, watch our AZ-900 video course, or go back to our AZ-900 Topic List.
Please click here to find out more about Microsoft’s AZ-900 exam.
