Microsoft Azure Architect Design (AZ-301) Practice Exam

When implementing Azure Storage solutions, which method should be used to minimize costs while providing adequate redundancy?

1. Use managed disks with redundancy

2. Utilize standard performance tiers for storage accounts

3. Adopt geo-redundant storage (GRS)

4. Implement Azure Files with standard caching

The correct answer is: Utilize standard performance tiers for storage accounts

Utilizing standard performance tiers for storage accounts is a cost-effective solution that still provides essential redundancy. Standard tiers typically use less expensive storage options, such as older hard drive technology, which helps to keep costs down while still offering sufficient performance for many applications. This is particularly important for workloads that do not require premium performance or ultra-low latency. Choosing standard performance tiers allows organizations to balance their budget with the need for data accessibility and redundancy. While redundancy is provided at the storage account level through options like locally redundant storage (LRS), it can be combined with the standard performance tier for an economical approach to maintain critical data without incurring unnecessary costs associated with higher performance tiers or more secure redundancy options, such as geo-redundant storage (GRS). In comparison, managed disks with redundancy and geo-redundant storage tend to involve higher costs due to their premium features and capabilities. Managed disks are often more expensive than using standard storage accounts, and GRS, while highly reliable, also adds to the cost significantly due to its ability to replicate data to a secondary region for disaster recovery purposes. Implementing Azure Files with standard caching may not effectively address redundancy requirements in the same way as utilizing performance tiers tailored to cost-efficiency while providing adequate redundancy at