AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question
A finance department wants several Windows virtual machines to map the same shared drive letter and work with the same files at the same time. Which Azure Storage service should you configure?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse Azure Blob storage (object storage) with Azure Files (file storage), assuming that any storage service can provide a mapped drive letter, but only Azure Files supports SMB-based file shares for concurrent VM 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
✓
Azure Files share
Azure Files provides fully managed file shares in the cloud that support the SMB protocol, allowing multiple Windows VMs to mount the same share with a consistent drive letter (e.g., Z:) and access the same files concurrently. This meets the finance department's requirement for shared access with a mapped drive letter, which Azure Blob storage cannot provide because it uses REST APIs rather than SMB.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Azure Blob container
Why it's wrong here
Azure Blob storage is an object-based store with a REST API and no native SMB protocol. Windows VMs cannot natively map a blob container as a drive letter or use NTFS file-locking semantics across multiple VMs; mounting blob storage requires third-party tools or a custom layer, and concurrent writes can lead to conflicts. Blob containers are optimized for unstructured data like images, logs, and backups, not for the shared-drive behavior the finance department expects.
When this WOULD be correct
When the requirement is to store and serve large amounts of unstructured data, such as images, videos, or backups, via HTTP/HTTPS, and no need for shared drive letter mapping or SMB access.
- ✓
Azure Files share
Why this is correct
Azure Files delivers a fully managed SMB 3.0/3.1.1 file share that Windows VMs can map to a drive letter (e.g., Z:) using standard `net use` or mounting in the OS. It supports NTFS ACLs, integration with Active Directory, and the same file-locking semantics as an on-premises file server, making it the correct choice for shared departmental drives. Unlike blob storage, Azure Files is expressly designed for multi-VM access with concurrent SMB clients.
- ✗
Archive blob tier
Why it's wrong here
The Archive access tier is a blob-storage tier for rarely accessed objects, with retrieval latencies of up to 15 hours after you rehydrate the blob to a hot or cool tier. It says nothing about how files are exposed to Windows VMs; an archive blob cannot be mounted as an SMB share and is not intended for active file sharing between virtual machines. The archive tier only changes cost and access behavior for object blobs, not the storage protocol or sharing model.
When this WOULD be correct
When the question asks for the most cost-effective storage tier for long-term backup data that is rarely accessed and can tolerate hours of retrieval latency.
- ✗
Storage account access key only
Why it's wrong here
A storage account access key is merely a credential that grants full administrative access to the storage account (all services), not a storage service itself. Using an access key alone provides no file-sharing mechanism—you still need a service such as Azure Files or Blob to host the data. Furthermore, sharing the access key widely for multiple VMs would be a security risk; even if you use Azure Files, you should prefer shared access signatures (SAS) or managed identities over shared keys.
When this WOULD be correct
When the question asks for the method to authenticate to Azure Files or Blob storage from a script or application, and the correct answer is to use a storage account access key (or connection string) for programmatic access.
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.
✓Azure Files shareCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Azure Files delivers a fully managed SMB 3.0/3.1.1 file share that Windows VMs can map to a drive letter (e.g., Z:) using standard `net use` or mounting in the OS. It supports NTFS ACLs, integration with Active Directory, and the same file-locking semantics as an on-premises file server, making it the correct choice for shared departmental drives. Unlike blob storage, Azure Files is expressly designed for multi-VM access with concurrent SMB clients.
✗Azure Blob containerWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Azure Blob containers provide object storage for unstructured data and do not support SMB protocol or drive letter mapping required for simultaneous file sharing across multiple Windows VMs.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
When the requirement is to store and serve large amounts of unstructured data, such as images, videos, or backups, via HTTP/HTTPS, and no need for shared drive letter mapping or SMB access.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse blob storage with file shares because both can store files, and they might overlook the specific need for SMB protocol and drive letter mapping.
✗Archive blob tierWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Archive blob tier is for cost-effective storage of infrequently accessed blob data with high latency, not for simultaneous file sharing with drive letter mapping.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
When the question asks for the most cost-effective storage tier for long-term backup data that is rarely accessed and can tolerate hours of retrieval latency.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse 'archive' with a general storage solution or think it can be used for file sharing because it stores data in Azure.
✗Storage account access key onlyWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A storage account access key only provides authentication to the storage account, not a shared drive letter mapping or concurrent file access. It does not offer the SMB protocol support needed for Windows VMs to map a drive letter.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
When the question asks for the method to authenticate to Azure Files or Blob storage from a script or application, and the correct answer is to use a storage account access key (or connection string) for programmatic access.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that the access key is sufficient to enable drive mapping, confusing authentication with the actual file sharing protocol (SMB) required for drive letter mapping.
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
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Managed Identities for Azure Resources
Key term
Shared access
Shared access is a permission model where multiple users, systems, or services are granted common access rights to a resource such as a file, database, network drive, or cloud storage.
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
Courseiva writes every AZ-104 question from scratch — 1,049 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.