OneLake Shortcut Cache Retention and Data Retrieval

DP-700 By islever Editorial Last updated

Design and implement loading patterns

Short answer

D All shortcuts (Products, Stores, and Trips) will retrieve data from the cache because the retention period can be configured up to 28 days.

Question

You have a Google Cloud Storage (GCS) container named storage1 that contains the files shown in the following table.
Exhibit: OneLake Shortcut Cache Retention and Data Retrieval
You have a Fabric workspace named Workspace1 that has the cache for shortcuts enabled. Workspace1 contains a lakehouse named Lakehouse1. Lakehouse1 has the shortcuts shown in the following table.
Exhibit: OneLake Shortcut Cache Retention and Data Retrieval
You need to read data from all the shortcuts.
Which shortcuts will retrieve data from the cache?
  1. Stores only
  2. Products only
  3. Stores and Products only
  4. Products, Stores, and Trips Correct Answer
  5. Trips only
  6. Products and Trips only

Key Takeaways

The core trap is assuming the default 24-hour cache limit applies strictly to older files; however, the exam context implies the maximum configurable retention allows all shortcuted data to be cached.

This question tests the behavior of OneLake shortcut caching in Microsoft Fabric, specifically how cache retention periods affect data retrieval from external sources. The page clarifies that with a configurable 1-28 day retention, all shortcuts can potentially be served from cache if accessed within that window.

Common mistake: Many learners choose 'Stores and Products only' (C) by incorrectly assuming the default 24-hour retention period expires for the older 'Trips' file, ignoring the ability to configure retention up to 28 days.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

The correct answer is D because Microsoft Fabric allows the cache retention period for shortcuts to be configured from 1 to 28 days. Since all files are less than 1 GB and supported formats, and the workspace has caching enabled, it is possible to retain all three shortcuts in the cache for up to 28 days. Therefore, all shortcuts can retrieve data from the cache.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Options A, B, C, E, and F are incorrect because they exclude at least one shortcut that could validly be cached under the extended retention policy. Specifically, excluding 'Trips' (as in C) relies on an outdated or unconfigured 24-hour default, which is not a constraint in this scenario where the max retention is available.

Community Comment Notes

Community consensus shifted from C to D after updates clarified the 1-28 day retention feature. As Tuki93 noted, "Shortcut caching can be used to reduce egress costs... Cached files have a retention period of 24 hours" was the old understanding, but later comments like those from ts_au confirmed "caching can now be retained up to 28 days." Learners like Sr18 acknowledged the change, stating "Here it should be all 3. As all of them are less than 2 gb and 28 days is now max retention."

Official Reference

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/onelake/onelake-shortcuts#caching

This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

Always check for the most recent configuration limits in Fabric documentation. When questions involve caching or retention, look for keywords like 'configurable' or specific day ranges (e.g., 1-28 days) rather than assuming strict defaults like 24 hours unless explicitly stated.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum cache retention period for OneLake shortcuts?

The retention period for cached files in OneLake shortcuts can be configured from 1 to 28 days.

Why is 'Trips' included in the cache answer despite being older?

Because the cache retention is configurable up to 28 days, older files can still be served from cache if accessed within that window.

More DP-700 FAQ →

Community Votes

D
60%
B
40%

60% of anonymous learners picked answer D. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 43 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 30 of 43

  1. Tuki93 👍 21 Answered C
    Shortcut caching can be used to reduce egress costs associated with cross-cloud data access. As files are read through an external shortcut, the files are stored in a cache for the Fabric workspace. Subsequent read requests are served from cache rather than the remote storage provider. Cached files have a retention period of 24 hours. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/onelake/onelake-shortcuts#caching
  2. ts_au 👍 20 Answered D
    caching can now be retained up to 28 days
  3. Kiket2ride 👍 6 Answered C
    By default is C but now D can also be true. See here: The retention period for cached files can be set from 1-28 days https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/onelake/onelake-shortcuts#caching
  4. Bharat 👍 5 Answered D
    I think that the correct answer is D instead of C because the caching is enabled for ALL types of files in a Lakehouse whether they are Parquet, JSON, or CSV.
  5. YeloDeo01_ 👍 5 Answered C
    The retention period for cached files can be set from 1-28 days. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/onelake/onelake-shortcuts
Show 25 more comments
  1. Sr18 👍 5
    My bad this is answer for 18. Here it should be all 3. As all of them are less than 2 gb and 28 days is now max retention.
  2. 8115575 👍 4 Answered C
    As nothing has been explicitly stated regarding cache retention period, one can assume it is still the default value of 1 day. Hence, cache retention of 24 hours has been expired for Trips and it will be read from source again. From doc page: Shortcut caching can reduce egress costs associated with cross-cloud data access. As files are read through an external shortcut, the files are stored in a cache for the Fabric workspace. Subsequent read requests are served from cache rather than the remote storage provider. The retention period for cached files can be set from 1-28 days. Each time the file is accessed, the retention period is reset. If the file in remote storage provider is more recent than the file in the cache, the request is served from remote storage provider and the updated file will then be stored in cache. If a file hasn’t been accessed for more than the selected retention period, it's purged from the cache. Individual files greater than 1 GB in size aren't cached.
  3. a74cb2b 👍 4 Answered D
    Each file is < 1 GB in size and retention period can be set from 1 - 28 days, so D (all three) is correct now https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/onelake/onelake-shortcuts#caching -> "The retention period for cached files can be set from 1-28 days. Each time the file is accessed, the retention period is reset." [...] "If a file hasn’t been accessed for more than the selected retention period, it's purged from the cache. Individual files greater than 1 GB in size aren't cached."
  4. 5dcd3a8 👍 4 Answered D
    With the new update cached files can be set from 1-28. Also the Individual files greater than 1 GB in size aren't cached. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/onelake/onelake-shortcuts#caching
  5. DarioReymago 👍 4 Answered D
    D: he retention period for cached files can be set from 1-28 days Files are less than 1gb all sources type are supported
  6. rehoboth2165 👍 4 Answered D
    Caching is for 1-28 days on last accessed and the individual files are less than 1GB each
  7. Psycho 👍 3 Answered C
    When cache for shortcuts is enabled, recently accessed files are cached. The cache duration is 24 hours (default in Fabric). If a shortcut was accessed within the last 24 hours, it will read from the cache. If accessed more than 24 hours ago, it will read from the original source.
  8. Josekonoor 👍 3 Answered C
    all that the question say is "Cache is enabled". When it is simply enabled without specifically changing the retention , it goes with the default retention of 1 day. So any data that was accessed within recent 24 hours will be there in the cache untill next 24 hours
  9. smanzana 👍 3 Answered D
    D: Cache duration can now be configured between 1 and 28 days, not just the default 24 hours, but files larger than 1 GB are excluded from the cache and will not be cached.
  10. 9a69b12 👍 3 Answered C
    This question is outdated due to increased retention limit, but C was right when max retention was 24H.
  11. henryphchan 👍 3 Answered C
    Data within 1GB and accessed less than 24 hours will be cached
  12. ziggy1117 👍 3 Answered D
    Files less than 1GB and retention is now up to 28 days
  13. vernillen 👍 3 Answered D
    Due to recent changes
  14. MedMed009 👍 2 Answered D
    ->Shortcut : a logical pointer to external data (like GCS, ADLS, S3). With cache enabled, Fabric keeps a local copy in OneLake for faster queries. ->Cache enabled : When cache for shortcuts is enabled in a Fabric workspace, data that is read from the shortcut is cached in OneLake. The cache is refreshed when the shortcut is accessed. Maximum retention period for cached shortcut data is 28 days. -> OneLake responds to subsequent read requests from the cache rather than the remote storage provider. You can set the retention period for cached files between 1-28 days.
  15. d0bdf05 👍 2 Answered C
    I think that C and D are correct, but in the statement they don´t say anything about retention period in days, and there´s no default retention period in fabric, so it´s could be one day (24 hours). So I think that C in this context is more correct.
  16. Aldeus 👍 2 Answered C
    Ambiguos question. The two requirements for caching are: 1) File must be less than 1 gb. 2) File last access must be within the retention window. The default window is 1 day, but can be configured between 1-28 days.
  17. f4fdd67 👍 2 Answered C
    Here the default retention period is 24 hours, but can be configured to 1-28 days. But, they didn't mention about any retention period. Hence, default retention period is applied and option C is the correct
  18. Acrious 👍 2 Answered D
    It depends when you asked this question, right now, as of (not today exactly) but as I write this, D would be correct as the cache is in days (28ish), not 12 or 24 hours anymore.
  19. Bharat 👍 2
    Sorry, I didn't pay attention to the retention period. Because it exceeds 24 hours, it will not be read from the cache. Therefore, the answer is correct.
  20. Rahalcer 👍 2 Answered C
    When shortcut caching is enabled, files are cached after access and remain in cache for up to 24 hours since last access. Trips 48 hours so C
  21. jennsun 👍 2 Answered C
    Shortcut cache keeps files ≤1 GB for 24 hours since last access. Trip.csv would be expired.
  22. Adriel_1996 👍 2
    I am dealing with same issue. Could be C or D depending on your configuration.
  23. upliftinghut 👍 2 Answered D
    less than 1 GB & retention up to 18 days => all are ok
  24. medeirosLF 👍 2 Answered C
    Cached files have a retention period of 24 hours.
  25. 3d259eb 👍 2 Answered D
    Cache is now 28 days

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