AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question
A contractor must import data into one blob container for six hours. The contractor should not receive the storage account key, and access must be limited to that container only. Which credential should the administrator generate?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse a user delegation SAS with a service SAS or account SAS, mistakenly thinking any SAS is sufficient, but only a user delegation SAS avoids using the storage account key and can be precisely scoped to a single container with time-bound access.
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
✓
A user delegation SAS, because it is signed with Microsoft Entra credentials and is time limited.
A user delegation SAS is signed with Microsoft Entra credentials (formerly Azure AD) and can be scoped to a specific blob container with a time limit. This meets the requirement of granting the contractor access only to that container for six hours without exposing the storage account key.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
A storage account access key, because it can be copied into the import tool.
Why it's wrong here
An account access key is the storage account's master key, granting full administrative and data-plane control over every blob, table, queue, and file share in the account. It cannot be scoped to one container, nor does it support a native expiration, so handing it to a contractor for a six-hour import task exposes the entire account indefinitely. Even if the key can be pasted into an import tool, that convenience is offset by the critical lack of least-privilege and time-limiting.
When this WOULD be correct
When the question asks for a credential that provides full access to all storage account resources (e.g., for a backup tool that needs to manage multiple containers) and there is no requirement for time limitation or container-level restriction.
- ✓
A user delegation SAS, because it is signed with Microsoft Entra credentials and is time limited.
Why this is correct
A user delegation SAS is the most appropriate credential when you want temporary, scoped access to blob data without exposing the storage account key. It is generated using Microsoft Entra authorization, can be constrained to a specific container, and can expire after six hours. That combination gives the contractor only the access needed for the import task while keeping the underlying account credentials protected.
- ✗
A shared key connection string, because it works with any tool that needs blob access.
Why it's wrong here
A shared key connection string bundles the account name, an access key or SAS, and the service endpoint into a single string, and tools commonly accept it. However, when it contains an account key, it offers the same account-wide permissions as the key itself and must be rotated manually if exposed; it cannot be restricted to a single blob container. Although it 'works with any tool,' that universality is not a security feature—it simply means the key is transmitted in plaintext to any software that receives the string.
When this WOULD be correct
When an application needs to access a storage account using a tool that requires a connection string, and the user is trusted with full account access (e.g., an internal admin performing bulk operations).
- ✗
A managed identity token, because the contractor can use it outside Azure directly.
Why it's wrong here
Managed identity tokens are issued to Azure resources—like a VM or Functions app—that have been assigned an identity in Microsoft Entra ID, and they are intended for that resource's outbound authentication, not for an external individual. A contractor cannot simply install or use a managed identity token on their own machine; the identity has no secrets to carry away and its access is tied to the Azure resource's RBAC assignments. Therefore, using one for an outside contractor is conceptually impossible, and it is irrelevant to granting scoped, time-limited access to a single blob container.
When this WOULD be correct
An administrator needs to grant an Azure VM (or other Azure resource) access to a specific blob container for a limited time, without managing keys. The VM uses a managed identity to obtain a token for blob access, and the administrator assigns RBAC roles to the identity scoped to the container.
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.
✓A user delegation SAS, because it is signed with Microsoft Entra credentials and is time limited.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
A user delegation SAS is the most appropriate credential when you want temporary, scoped access to blob data without exposing the storage account key. It is generated using Microsoft Entra authorization, can be constrained to a specific container, and can expire after six hours. That combination gives the contractor only the access needed for the import task while keeping the underlying account credentials protected.
✗A storage account access key, because it can be copied into the import tool.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A storage account access key grants full administrative access to the entire storage account, not just a single container, and it cannot be time-limited. The question requires access limited to one container for six hours without exposing the account key.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
When the question asks for a credential that provides full access to all storage account resources (e.g., for a backup tool that needs to manage multiple containers) and there is no requirement for time limitation or container-level restriction.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think the access key is the simplest way to authenticate tools for data import, overlooking the security and scoping requirements in the question.
✗A shared key connection string, because it works with any tool that needs blob access.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A shared key connection string includes the storage account access key, which the contractor should not receive, and it does not limit access to a single container.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
When an application needs to access a storage account using a tool that requires a connection string, and the user is trusted with full account access (e.g., an internal admin performing bulk operations).
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think a connection string is a convenient way to grant access without understanding that it exposes the account key and provides unrestricted access to the entire storage account.
✗A managed identity token, because the contractor can use it outside Azure directly.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A managed identity token is used for Azure resources to authenticate to Azure services without storing credentials, but it cannot be used outside Azure directly. The contractor is external and needs access from outside Azure, so a managed identity token is not applicable.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
An administrator needs to grant an Azure VM (or other Azure resource) access to a specific blob container for a limited time, without managing keys. The VM uses a managed identity to obtain a token for blob access, and the administrator assigns RBAC roles to the identity scoped to the container.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think managed identities provide secure, token-based access without keys, but they forget that managed identities are tied to Azure resources and cannot be used by external users or non-Azure workloads.
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?”
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Managed Identities for Azure Resources
Key term
Container
A container is a lightweight, standalone software package that includes everything needed to run an application, such as code, runtime, system tools, and libraries.
Key term
SAS
SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) is a high-speed data transfer technology used to connect hard drives and SSDs in servers and enterprise storage systems.
About these practice questions
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Same concept, more angles
4 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 partner company needs to upload files to a single blob container for the next 24 hours. The partner should not receive the storage account key, and the access should be limited to that container only. Which access mechanism should you provide?
medium- ✓ A.A container-level SAS token with write permission and a 24-hour expiry.
- B.The storage account key, because it is easier for external users to use.
- C.A management group role assignment, because RBAC can restrict access to one blob container.
- D.A private endpoint, because it grants the partner write access over a private IP.
Why A: A container-level SAS token with write permission and a 24-hour expiry is correct because it provides time-limited, delegated access to a specific blob container without exposing the storage account key. The SAS token is generated with the container as the resource scope, write permission (add/create), and an expiry time of 24 hours, meeting all requirements: no key sharing, container-only access, and time-bound access.
Variation 2. A contractor needs to upload data into one specific blob container for six hours. The administrator must avoid sharing the storage account key and should grant only the minimum permissions needed. Which access method should be used?
medium- ✓ A.A service SAS scoped to the container with write permission and an expiry time in six hours.
- B.The storage account access key, because it is easier to revoke later.
- C.A shared key rotation policy, because it grants time-limited access to one container.
- D.A user-assigned managed identity assigned to the contractor’s laptop.
Why A: A service SAS scoped to the container with write permission and an expiry time of six hours is correct because it provides time-limited, delegated access to a specific blob container without exposing the storage account key. This meets the requirement of granting only the minimum permissions needed (write) for the six-hour duration, and the SAS can be revoked by regenerating the storage account key if necessary.
Variation 3. A contractor needs to upload files into one blob container for six hours. The administrator must avoid sharing the storage account key and wants the access to expire automatically. Which two actions should the administrator take? Select two.
hard- ✓ A.Generate a user delegation SAS for the contractor.
- B.Generate a service SAS by using the account key.
- ✓ C.Set the SAS expiry to six hours.
- D.Enable anonymous blob access on the container.
- E.Create a storage account access key specifically for the contractor.
Why A: A user delegation SAS is secured with Azure AD credentials rather than the storage account key, allowing the administrator to grant time-limited access without exposing the key. Setting the SAS expiry to six hours ensures the contractor's access automatically expires after the required duration, meeting both security and time-bound requirements. Option C is correct because it directly specifies the expiry time for the SAS, which aligns with the requirement for automatic expiration after six hours.
Variation 4. A contractor needs to upload files into one blob container for six hours. The administrator must avoid sharing the storage account key, and the access token should keep working even if the storage account keys are rotated later. Which access mechanism should be issued?
hard- A.An account SAS signed with the storage account key
- B.A service SAS signed with the storage account key
- ✓ C.A user delegation SAS signed through Microsoft Entra authentication
- D.The storage account access key itself in a temporary script variable
Why C: A user delegation SAS is signed with Microsoft Entra credentials rather than the storage account key, so it remains valid even if the storage account keys are rotated. This meets the requirement to avoid sharing the account key while providing temporary, scoped access for exactly six hours. The contractor can upload files without the administrator exposing the account key or needing to manage key rotation.
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.