Master the Microsoft Azure Architect Design (AZ-304) 2025 – Unleash Your Cloud Genius!

The minimum billing period for storage costs in the archive access tier of Azure Blob storage is 180 days. This means that once data is stored in the archive tier, customers are required to keep that data for at least 180 days before it can be deleted without incurring additional charges.

This policy is designed to encourage users to use the archive tier for long-term storage needs rather than as a short-term solution. The archive tier is intended for data that is rarely accessed and is suitable for scenarios where data retrieval can take hours instead of minutes.

While the other options imply shorter minimum billing periods, they do not align with the actual policy implemented by Azure, which establishes the 180-day minimum to balance cost-effectiveness with storage usage patterns. Understanding this billing structure is important for making informed decisions regarding data management and cost optimization in Azure services.