AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question
A platform team created a BlobStorage account for application logs. Later they discovered the same account must also host an Azure Files share for a Linux automation server, and lifecycle rules must continue to manage blob tiers. Standard performance is sufficient. What should they do?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers assume a BlobStorage account can be 'upgraded' or that adding features like private endpoints or premium performance will enable Azure Files, when in fact the account kind is immutable after creation and must be recreated as StorageV2.
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
✓
Recreate the storage as a StorageV2 general-purpose v2 account
A BlobStorage account is a specialized storage account that supports only block blobs and append blobs, not Azure Files shares. To host both blobs and Azure Files, you need a general-purpose v2 (StorageV2) account, which supports all Azure Storage services including blobs, files, queues, and tables, while also allowing lifecycle management policies for blob tiering. Recreating the account as StorageV2 meets both requirements without sacrificing blob lifecycle rules.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Keep the BlobStorage account and add a private endpoint
Why it's wrong here
A private endpoint assigns a private IP address from your virtual network to the storage account, eliminating public connectivity but not changing the account's supported data services. The BlobStorage kind is exclusively for blobs, meaning Azure Files can never be provisioned here irrespective of networking configuration. Even with the endpoint in place, you still cannot create a file share, so the application requirement remains unfulfilled.
- ✓
Recreate the storage as a StorageV2 general-purpose v2 account
Why this is correct
A StorageV2 account supports both blob features such as lifecycle management and Azure Files shares in the same account. The earlier BlobStorage kind is too limited for the file-share requirement, so the correct administrative action is to create a general-purpose v2 account and migrate the data. This also preserves standard performance and keeps the storage design simpler than splitting services across separate accounts.
- ✗
Convert the account to Premium Block Blob storage
Why it's wrong here
Premium Block Blob storage is a performance tier that uses SSD-backed hardware to provide high transaction rates and low consistency latency for object blob workloads. However, this account kind remains BlobStorage, and Azure Files is not among its allowed services; premium file shares require a separate FileStorage account type or a general-purpose v2 account on standard tier. Upgrading to Premium Block Blob would only change performance characteristics, not expand service compatibility, so the file-share need is still ignored.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the question required high-performance, low-latency blob storage for a workload like streaming video or IoT telemetry, and did not need Azure Files or lifecycle management across tiers.
- ✗
Create a separate file server VM and keep the BlobStorage account unchanged
Why it's wrong here
Standing up a file server VM would give you shared folders via SMB/NFS, but it places you in charge of the operating system's lifecycle: patching, antivirus, fault tolerance, and capacity scaling across managed disks. This approach also creates a silo where your blob data and file data live in different management planes, unlike Azure Files which integrates with the same storage account and supports RBAC, snapshots, and Azure Backup. It adds substantial operational cost and failover complexity that a fully managed Azure file share would avoid, making it a poor substitute for the missing capability.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the question required hosting an Azure Files share but the existing storage account was a legacy BlobStorage account that cannot be upgraded, and the scenario allowed for a separate VM to serve files without needing lifecycle management on the same account.
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.
✓Recreate the storage as a StorageV2 general-purpose v2 accountCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
A StorageV2 account supports both blob features such as lifecycle management and Azure Files shares in the same account. The earlier BlobStorage kind is too limited for the file-share requirement, so the correct administrative action is to create a general-purpose v2 account and migrate the data. This also preserves standard performance and keeps the storage design simpler than splitting services across separate accounts.
✗Convert the account to Premium Block Blob storageWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Premium Block Blob storage is designed for low-latency workloads and does not support Azure Files shares, which require standard performance tiers. The question specifies standard performance is sufficient, so Premium is unnecessary and incompatible.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the question required high-performance, low-latency blob storage for a workload like streaming video or IoT telemetry, and did not need Azure Files or lifecycle management across tiers.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think 'Premium' is always better and assume it supports all features, overlooking that Premium Block Blob lacks Azure Files support and is overkill for standard performance needs.
✗Create a separate file server VM and keep the BlobStorage account unchangedWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Creating a separate file server VM adds unnecessary cost and management overhead, and does not address the requirement to host an Azure Files share within the same storage account as the blob containers, which is only possible with a StorageV2 account.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the question required hosting an Azure Files share but the existing storage account was a legacy BlobStorage account that cannot be upgraded, and the scenario allowed for a separate VM to serve files without needing lifecycle management on the same account.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that keeping the existing BlobStorage account unchanged is simpler and that adding a separate VM for file sharing is a straightforward workaround, overlooking that Azure Files can be natively hosted in a StorageV2 account without extra VMs.
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
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.
Key term
Azure Storage
Azure Storage is Microsoft's cloud-based service for storing data like files, messages, and backups with high durability and scalability.
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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.