- A
Locally redundant storage (LRS), because it protects against a single disk failure inside one datacenter.
Why wrong: LRS keeps multiple copies within one datacenter only. It helps with local hardware failures, but it does not protect the workload if an entire zone becomes unavailable.
- B
Zone-redundant storage (ZRS), because it replicates data across zones in the same region.
ZRS stores copies of the data across multiple availability zones in the same region. That design helps the account remain available during a zone outage without requiring a paired region or secondary read access.
- C
Geo-redundant storage (GRS), because it automatically provides the lowest-cost cross-region protection.
Why wrong: GRS does replicate to a secondary region, but that is more than the requirement calls for. The scenario specifically asks for resilience to a zone failure, not region-level replication.
- D
Geo-zone-redundant storage (GZRS), because it is required whenever zone resilience is needed.
Why wrong: GZRS provides stronger protection by combining zone replication with geo-replication. It is useful in some designs, but the question only requires surviving a zone outage inside one region.
Quick Answer
The answer is zone-redundant storage (ZRS), because it replicates data synchronously across three Azure availability zones within the same region, ensuring the finance team’s invoice PDFs remain available even if an entire zone fails. This meets the requirement for intra-region zone failure protection without needing a secondary region, and it keeps the storage service simple by avoiding the complexity of geo-replication. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your ability to match redundancy options to specific business requirements, often appearing as a scenario where candidates mistakenly choose geo-redundant storage (GRS) for zone failure protection. A common trap is assuming you need a secondary region for any failure scenario, but ZRS handles zone-level failures locally. Remember the memory tip: “ZRS = Zone Resilience, Same region” — if the requirement is only about a zone going down, not a whole region, ZRS is your answer.
AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage storage. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 finance team stores monthly invoice PDFs in Azure and wants the data to remain available if an entire availability zone in the region fails. They do not need read access to a secondary region, and they want to keep the storage service simple. Which redundancy option should they choose for the storage account?
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
Zone-redundant storage (ZRS), because it replicates data across zones in the same region.
Zone-redundant storage (ZRS) replicates data synchronously across three Azure availability zones within the same region, ensuring durability even if an entire zone fails. This meets the requirement for intra-region zone failure protection without needing a secondary region, and it keeps the storage service simple by avoiding the complexity of geo-replication.
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), because it protects against a single disk failure inside one datacenter.
Why it's wrong here
LRS keeps multiple copies within one datacenter only. It helps with local hardware failures, but it does not protect the workload if an entire zone becomes unavailable.
- ✓
Zone-redundant storage (ZRS), because it replicates data across zones in the same region.
Why this is correct
ZRS stores copies of the data across multiple availability zones in the same region. That design helps the account remain available during a zone outage without requiring a paired region or secondary read access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Geo-redundant storage (GRS), because it automatically provides the lowest-cost cross-region protection.
Why it's wrong here
GRS does replicate to a secondary region, but that is more than the requirement calls for. The scenario specifically asks for resilience to a zone failure, not region-level replication.
- ✗
Geo-zone-redundant storage (GZRS), because it is required whenever zone resilience is needed.
Why it's wrong here
GZRS provides stronger protection by combining zone replication with geo-replication. It is useful in some designs, but the question only requires surviving a zone outage inside one region.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'zone failure' with 'regional failure' and incorrectly choose GRS or GZRS, overlooking that ZRS provides sufficient protection within a single region at lower cost and complexity.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
GRS does replicate to a secondary region, but that is more than the requirement calls for. The scenario specifically asks for resilience to a zone failure, not region-level replication.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ZRS uses synchronous replication across three distinct availability zones, each with independent power, cooling, and networking, providing a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of zero and a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of minutes for a zone failure. Under the hood, Azure Storage uses a distributed file system with a write-acknowledgment quorum across zones, ensuring data consistency without the latency of cross-region replication. In a real-world scenario, if a finance team stores monthly invoice PDFs and a zone goes offline due to a power outage, ZRS ensures all data remains accessible from the remaining zones without manual failover.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-104 question test?
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: Zone-redundant storage (ZRS), because it replicates data across zones in the same region. — Zone-redundant storage (ZRS) replicates data synchronously across three Azure availability zones within the same region, ensuring durability even if an entire zone fails. This meets the requirement for intra-region zone failure protection without needing a secondary region, and it keeps the storage service simple by avoiding the complexity of geo-replication.
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.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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