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 reporting application stores files in Azure Blob Storage. The business wants the secondary region to be readable if the primary region becomes unavailable. Which redundancy option should you use?
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.
LRS, because it stores all copies in one region only.
Why wrong: LRS keeps data in one datacenter or region and does not provide a readable secondary region.
B
ZRS, because it replicates across availability zones.
Why wrong: ZRS helps with zone failures in one region, but it does not create a readable secondary region.
C
RA-GRS, because it provides geo-replication with read access to the secondary endpoint.
RA-GRS keeps a replicated copy in a paired region and allows read access to the secondary endpoint, which fits the requirement for secondary-region reads.
D
Archive, because archived blobs are stored cheaply for long-term retention.
Why wrong: Archive is an access tier, not a redundancy option, and it does not provide secondary-region read access.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
RA-GRS, because it provides geo-replication with read access to the secondary endpoint.
Option C (RA-GRS) is correct because it provides geo-replication by asynchronously copying data to a secondary region and enables read access to that secondary endpoint. If the primary region becomes unavailable, the application can continue reading from the secondary region, meeting the business requirement for readable secondary access during a primary outage.
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.
✗
LRS, because it stores all copies in one region only.
Why it's wrong here
LRS keeps data in one datacenter or region and does not provide a readable secondary region.
✗
ZRS, because it replicates across availability zones.
Why it's wrong here
ZRS helps with zone failures in one region, but it does not create a readable secondary region.
✓
RA-GRS, because it provides geo-replication with read access to the secondary endpoint.
Why this is correct
RA-GRS keeps a replicated copy in a paired region and allows read access to the secondary endpoint, which fits the requirement for secondary-region reads.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Archive, because archived blobs are stored cheaply for long-term retention.
Why it's wrong here
Archive is an access tier, not a redundancy option, and it does not provide secondary-region read access.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse ZRS (zone-redundant within a region) with geo-redundant options, or mistakenly think LRS provides any cross-region resilience, when only RA-GRS offers both geo-replication and read access to the secondary region.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
RA-GRS (Read-Access Geo-Redundant Storage) uses asynchronous replication to copy data from the primary region to a paired secondary region, typically with a lag of minutes (RPO of 15 minutes or less). The secondary endpoint is accessible via a separate URL (e.g., `*.secondary.blob.core.windows.net`), and reads are eventually consistent. In a real-world scenario, if the primary region fails, the application can switch to the secondary endpoint for read operations, but writes remain unavailable until Microsoft initiates a 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 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: RA-GRS, because it provides geo-replication with read access to the secondary endpoint. — Option C (RA-GRS) is correct because it provides geo-replication by asynchronously copying data to a secondary region and enables read access to that secondary endpoint. If the primary region becomes unavailable, the application can continue reading from the secondary region, meeting the business requirement for readable secondary access during a primary outage.
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.
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