General-Purpose v2 Storage Account: Blobs, Azure Files, Lifecycle Rules
A company wants a single storage account for blob containers, Azure Files shares, and blob lifecycle management rules. Which two statements about the required account are true? Select two.
Quick Answer
The answer is a general-purpose v2 (GPv2) storage account. This is the only account type that natively supports all Azure Storage data services, including blob containers and Azure Files, while also providing full support for blob lifecycle management rules. GPv2 accounts are designed to offer the lowest per-gigabyte storage prices for blobs and allow you to define policies that automatically tier or delete data based on age or conditions, making them the single, unified solution for the scenario described. On the AZ-104 exam, this question tests your understanding of storage account types and their capabilities; a common trap is confusing GPv1 or BlobStorage accounts, which lack Azure Files support or lifecycle rule flexibility. Remember the memory tip: GPv2 is the “general-purpose” workhorse—if you need blobs, files, and lifecycle rules together, it’s the only v2 that does it all.
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often assume premium storage accounts are required for performance or that a storage account can only host one service type, but GPv2 accounts are the universal choice for mixed workloads and lifecycle management.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
It should be a general-purpose v2 storage account.
A general-purpose v2 (GPv2) storage account is required because it is the only account type that supports all Azure Storage data services—including blob containers and Azure Files—and also provides full support for blob lifecycle management policies. GPv2 accounts offer the lowest per-gigabyte storage prices for blobs and enable you to define rules to automatically tier or delete blobs based on age or other conditions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
It should be a general-purpose v2 storage account.
Why this is correct
General-purpose v2 is the standard choice for combined blob and file workloads and supports the modern storage features the company needs.
- ✓
It can host both blob containers and Azure Files shares.
Why this is correct
A general-purpose v2 account supports multiple Azure Storage services, including blobs and files, within the same account.
- ✗
It must be a premium block blob account.
Why it's wrong here
Premium block blob accounts are optimized for blob performance, but they are not the right fit for combining blob containers with Azure Files shares.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question specified that the account must provide low-latency storage for block blobs and did not require Azure Files shares or lifecycle management, then a premium block blob account would be the correct choice.
- ✗
It cannot use lifecycle management on blobs.
Why it's wrong here
General-purpose v2 accounts do support blob lifecycle management. That feature is one reason they are commonly used.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question specified a premium block blob account (e.g., for low-latency workloads) and asked which feature is not supported, then 'cannot use lifecycle management' would be correct because premium block blob accounts do not support lifecycle management policies.
- ✗
It can store only one type of Azure Storage data service at a time.
Why it's wrong here
That is not true for general-purpose v2 accounts. They are designed to support multiple storage services in one account.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question specified a storage account type that only supports a single data service, such as a premium block blob account (which only supports block blobs) or a legacy account type, then it would be correct that it can store only one type at a time.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The AZ-104 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓It should be a general-purpose v2 storage account.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
General-purpose v2 is the standard choice for combined blob and file workloads and supports the modern storage features the company needs.
✗It must be a premium block blob account.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A premium block blob account does not support Azure Files shares, which are required by the company's need for a single storage account hosting both blob containers and Azure Files shares.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question specified that the account must provide low-latency storage for block blobs and did not require Azure Files shares or lifecycle management, then a premium block blob account would be the correct choice.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think 'premium' implies better performance and broader capabilities, not realizing that premium block blob accounts are specialized and lack support for Azure Files and lifecycle management.
✗It cannot use lifecycle management on blobs.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
General-purpose v2 storage accounts support blob lifecycle management, so this option is false for the required account.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question specified a premium block blob account (e.g., for low-latency workloads) and asked which feature is not supported, then 'cannot use lifecycle management' would be correct because premium block blob accounts do not support lifecycle management policies.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse premium block blob accounts with general-purpose v2 accounts, incorrectly assuming that premium accounts also support lifecycle management, or they may think lifecycle management is only for standard tiers.
✗It can store only one type of Azure Storage data service at a time.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A general-purpose v2 storage account can simultaneously host multiple data services including blob containers and Azure Files shares, so it is not limited to one type at a time.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question specified a storage account type that only supports a single data service, such as a premium block blob account (which only supports block blobs) or a legacy account type, then it would be correct that it can store only one type at a time.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the concept of storage account types with the idea that each account is dedicated to a single service, especially when thinking of specialized accounts like premium block blob accounts.
Analysis generated from the official AZ-104blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Quick reference
Azure Blob Storage Tier Comparison
| Tier | Storage Cost | Retrieval Cost | Latency | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot | Highest | Lowest | Immediate | Active data, frequent reads |
| Cool | Lower | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / month |
| Cold | Lower still | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / quarter |
| Archive | Lowest | Highest + rehydration delay | Hours | Long-term compliance retention |
Go deeper
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Key term
Lifecycle management
Lifecycle management is the process of overseeing data from its creation or capture through its use, maintenance, and eventual deletion or archiving.
Key term
Azure Files
Azure Files is a cloud-based file sharing service that lets you create and access file shares using the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol or Network File System (NFS) protocol, just like you would access files on a local network drive.
About these practice questions
This AZ-104 question is part of Courseiva's 1,049-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
3 more ways this is tested on AZ-104
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A development team needs a single Azure Storage account for blob containers, Azure Files shares, and blob lifecycle rules. The account must support standard performance and allow future use of access tiers. Which account kind should you create?
medium- A.BlobStorage because it is optimized for blobs and supports lifecycle management.
- ✓ B.StorageV2 because it supports blobs, Azure Files, lifecycle management, and access tiers.
- C.FileStorage because it is designed for file shares and can also host blob lifecycle rules.
- D.BlockBlobStorage because it provides the best performance for lifecycle policies and file shares.
Why B: StorageV2 (general-purpose v2) is the only account kind that supports blobs, Azure Files shares, lifecycle management policies, and all access tiers (hot, cool, archive) with standard performance. BlobStorage lacks Azure Files support, FileStorage is premium-only and does not support lifecycle rules, and BlockBlobStorage is premium-only and does not support Azure Files or lifecycle management.
Variation 2. An organization wants a single Azure storage account that can host blob containers, Azure Files shares, and lifecycle management rules for blob data. Which storage account kind should the administrator create?
medium- A.BlobStorage
- B.FileStorage
- ✓ C.General-purpose v2 (StorageV2)
- D.BlockBlobStorage
Why C: General-purpose v2 (StorageV2) is the only storage account kind that supports blobs, Azure Files, and lifecycle management rules for blob data. It provides a unified account for all Azure Storage data services, including blobs, files, queues, and tables, and it natively supports lifecycle management policies to automatically tier or delete blob data based on age or other conditions.
Variation 3. A development team needs one storage account to host blob containers, Azure Files shares, and blob lifecycle management rules. Which two statements about the account are correct? Select two.
easy- ✓ A.It should be a General-purpose v2 storage account.
- B.It must be a BlobStorage account.
- ✓ C.It can host both blob containers and Azure Files shares.
- D.It must use only zone-redundant storage to use lifecycle rules.
- E.It cannot use lifecycle management for blobs.
Why A: A General-purpose v2 (GPv2) storage account is required because it supports the latest storage features, including blob lifecycle management rules, blob containers, and Azure Files shares. GPv2 accounts provide the necessary REST API endpoints and management capabilities for lifecycle policies, which are not available in older account types like BlobStorage or General-purpose v1.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This AZ-104 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the AZ-104 exam.