Azure storage access tiers and their application

Azure Storage access tiers provide a flexible and cost-effective solution for managing data storage based on usage patterns and access frequency. Understanding these tiers and their applications can significantly optimize our storage strategy and reduce costs. Azure Blob Storage uses these access tiers.

Note: To learn the basics of Blob Storage, refer to Educative Answer: What is Azure Blob Storage?

Let’s explore each access tier and explore their practical applications.

Hot access tier

• The hot access tier is designed for frequently accessed data that requires low-latency access times.

• It’s suitable for workloads where data is accessed and modified regularly, such as databases, active websites, and streaming applications.

Cool access tier

• The cool access tier is optimized for storing infrequently accessed data that still requires fast access when needed.

• It’s suitable for storing data for at least 30 days that should be readily available when required.

Archive access tier

• The archive access tier is designed for long-term data retention and archiving purposes where immediate access is not required.

• It offers the lowest storage costs but with longer retrieval times.

• Data stored in this tier is typically retained for at least 180 days, with flexible latency requirements.

Practical applications

• Media streaming: We can store frequently accessed media files in the hot tier for fast streaming performance, while older or less frequently accessed content can be moved to the cool tier.

• Backup and recovery: We can use the cool tier for regular backups and move older backups to the archive tier for long-term retention, reducing storage costs.

• Compliance and audit logs: We can store real-time audit logs in the hot tier for immediate access and move older logs to the archive tier for cost-effective long-term storage.

Quiz

Conclusion

By leveraging Azure Storage access tiers effectively, we can optimize storage costs, improve performance, and meet data retention requirements based on our workload’s access patterns. Understanding when to use each tier ensures a well-architected and cost-efficient storage solution tailored to our application’s needs.