Learn about the different tiers available for Azure Blob storage

I have already posted on the lifecycle of the blob here. Though we are familiar with these terms , learning the usage and purpose can leverage cost benefit.

Azure services groups the services into four - Blob, Files, Queues,Tables.

Today`s post focuses on blobs and its tiers.

Blob stands for Binary Large Object.

Azure Blob Storage is a service that stores unstructured data in the cloud as objects or blobs

Also referred as Object storage or container storage.

Types of blob tiers are - Hot / Cool / Cold / Archive

Hot Tier -

Default tier when created .

Ideal use case for frequent data reads like serving content to users

Lowest access costs , but high storage cost.

Less retrieval latency.

Cool Tier -

Used for infrequently accessed data which can be retained for atleast 30 days

Use case is for short term back up / DR datasets - means data cannot be accessed frequently but should be available immediately.

Effective storage costs , but high accessibility charges.

Less retrieval latency.

Cold tier -

Shares the same properties as cool tier , except the data can be retained for minimum 90 days.

Archive tier -

Offline tier , which can archive data for minimum 180 days but if deleted before that will have early deletion charges.

Ideal for saving raw data, legal compliance information, secondary back ups.

Has highest access latency.

Cost effective for storing , but more expensive for storage .

In essense, the purpose of these tiers is to provide flexibility in managing storage costs based on access patterns and performance requirements. By offering different tiers with varying performance characteristics and pricing models, Azure Blob storage allows users to optimize storage costs while meeting the needs of their applications and workloads. Additionally, Azure Blob storage enables seamless transition between tiers, allowing users to dynamically move data between tiers based on changing access patterns and cost considerations.