AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage storage. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company wants a storage account that keeps a readable copy in the secondary region and lets read operations continue if the primary region becomes unavailable. Which two redundancy options meet this requirement? Select two.
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS)
Read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS) is correct because it provides geo-redundant replication (GRS) with the added ability to read from the secondary region at all times, even when the primary region is available. If the primary region becomes unavailable, read operations can continue using the readable copy in the secondary region, meeting the requirement for continuous read access.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Locally redundant storage (LRS)
Why it's wrong here
LRS keeps three copies in one datacenter, but it does not replicate to another region for failover.
✗
Zone-redundant storage (ZRS)
Why it's wrong here
ZRS protects against a zone outage in one region, but it does not provide a readable secondary region.
✗
Geo-redundant storage (GRS)
Why it's wrong here
GRS replicates to a paired region, but the secondary copy is not readable until failover occurs.
✓
Read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS)
Why this is correct
RA-GRS replicates data to a secondary region and allows read access from that secondary endpoint.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Read-access geo-zone-redundant storage (RA-GZRS)
Why this is correct
RA-GZRS combines zone redundancy in the primary region with a readable secondary region for access continuity.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often select GRS (Option C) thinking it provides read access to the secondary region, but GRS only allows read access after a failover, not continuously, which is a key distinction tested in the AZ-104 exam.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, RA-GRS uses asynchronous replication to copy data to a paired secondary region, with a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of typically 15 minutes. The secondary endpoint is accessible via a separate DNS name (e.g., <storageaccount>-secondary.blob.core.windows.net), and read requests to this endpoint are served even when the primary is healthy. In a real-world scenario, if the primary region suffers a prolonged outage, applications can switch read traffic to the secondary endpoint without waiting for a Microsoft-initiated failover, ensuring business continuity for read-heavy workloads.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-104 question in full detail.
Implement and Manage Storage — This question tests Implement and Manage Storage — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS) — Read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS) is correct because it provides geo-redundant replication (GRS) with the added ability to read from the secondary region at all times, even when the primary region is available. If the primary region becomes unavailable, read operations can continue using the readable copy in the secondary region, meeting the requirement for continuous read access.
What should I do if I get this AZ-104 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.