Microsoft Azure Architect Design (AZ-304) Practice Test

In an Azure Storage account set up for archiving data, which method ensures data protection against deletion by private administrators?

1. Create a file share and enable soft delete.

2. Create an Azure Blob storage container and configure legal hold access.

3. Create a file share and snapshots.

4. Create a blob with a retention policy.

The correct answer is: Create an Azure Blob storage container and configure legal hold access.

The selected choice is accurate because configuring legal hold access for an Azure Blob storage container provides a robust means of protecting data from deletion by private administrators. Legal hold is a feature designed to prevent data from being altered or deleted by any means until the hold is lifted. It plays a critical role in compliance scenarios where retaining data is necessary for legal or regulatory reasons. In essence, when legal hold is applied, the blobs within the container cannot be deleted or modified, which mitigates risks associated with accidental or malicious deletions, particularly by individuals with administrative access. This makes it a highly secure option for organizations needing to safeguard crucial data. While the other methods mentioned have their own functionalities for data protection, they do not specifically address the need to prevent deletion due to administrative actions. For instance, while soft delete and snapshots can help recover data after deletion, they do not inherently prevent administrators from deleting the data in the first place. Retention policies can also help manage data lifecycle but may not be as effective in an administrative context as the legal hold approach.