Plan an explicit retrieval path for archived Azure blobs

Source facts

An archived blob’s data cannot be read or modified until it is rehydrated into an online tier. Microsoft says rehydration can take up to 15 hours depending on the selected priority. Lifecycle management policies cannot perform that return to an online tier.

The archived blob’s properties, metadata, and index tags remain visible even while its data is offline. Access-tier assignment applies to block blobs, not append or page blobs. Microsoft Learn.

Applicability

Identify the exact block blobs whose retrieval matters and the required response time. Distinguish a successful listing from a successful download, and review whether the archive tier fits the workload’s actual recovery requirement.

DSE recommendation

DSE recommends a retrieval record specifying the authorized requester, rehydration operator, intended online destination or tier, and application owner. Keep the documented delay in the recovery discussion rather than promising immediate access. State how the requester will learn that data is ready and who investigates a delayed or failed operation.

Verification

Use a harmless representative archived blob to rehearse the approved retrieval procedure. Record initiation, observed state changes, and the first successful download. Compare the restored content with the expected test content and confirm the consuming application can use it. Do not close the exercise merely because the blob remains listed in the container.

Official references

Microsoft Learn: Access tiers for blob data. Source retrieved September 9, 2026.