- A
ZRS, because it protects against zone failure and also provides a readable secondary region.
Why wrong: ZRS provides zone-level resilience, but it does not create a geo-replicated secondary region or secondary read access.
- B
GRS, because it stores a secondary copy in another region but does not offer zone redundancy in the primary region.
Why wrong: GRS offers geo-replication, but the primary requirement also includes zone resilience. GRS alone does not satisfy both parts of the scenario.
- C
RA-GZRS, because it combines zone redundancy, geo-replication, and read access to the secondary region.
RA-GZRS provides the strongest fit for this scenario. It combines synchronous zone redundancy in the primary region with asynchronous geo-replication to a secondary region, and it allows read access to that secondary copy. That combination meets both the availability and reporting requirements described in the question.
- D
LRS, because local replication is enough when the workload already has application-level retries.
Why wrong: LRS does not provide zone resilience or geo-replication. Application retries can improve transient failure handling, but they do not replace the required storage resiliency features.
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 system requires a storage account that is zone resilient in the primary region and also keeps a geo-replicated secondary copy that can be read during an outage. Which redundancy option should you select?
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.
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
RA-GZRS, because it combines zone redundancy, geo-replication, and read access to the secondary region.
RA-GZRS (Read-Access Geo-Zone-Redundant Storage) is the correct choice because it provides synchronous replication across three Azure availability zones in the primary region for zone resilience, asynchronous geo-replication to a secondary region for disaster recovery, and enables read access to the secondary copy during an outage. This meets all three requirements: zone resiliency, geo-replication, and readable secondary region.
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.
- ✗
ZRS, because it protects against zone failure and also provides a readable secondary region.
Why it's wrong here
ZRS provides zone-level resilience, but it does not create a geo-replicated secondary region or secondary read access.
- ✗
GRS, because it stores a secondary copy in another region but does not offer zone redundancy in the primary region.
Why it's wrong here
GRS offers geo-replication, but the primary requirement also includes zone resilience. GRS alone does not satisfy both parts of the scenario.
- ✓
RA-GZRS, because it combines zone redundancy, geo-replication, and read access to the secondary region.
Why this is correct
RA-GZRS provides the strongest fit for this scenario. It combines synchronous zone redundancy in the primary region with asynchronous geo-replication to a secondary region, and it allows read access to that secondary copy. That combination meets both the availability and reporting requirements described in the question.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
LRS, because local replication is enough when the workload already has application-level retries.
Why it's wrong here
LRS does not provide zone resilience or geo-replication. Application retries can improve transient failure handling, but they do not replace the required storage resiliency features.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse GRS with RA-GZRS, overlooking that GRS lacks zone redundancy in the primary region and does not provide read access to the secondary copy unless explicitly enabled via RA-GRS or RA-GZRS.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
GRS offers geo-replication, but the primary requirement also includes zone resilience. GRS alone does not satisfy both parts of the scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
RA-GZRS uses synchronous replication across three availability zones in the primary region, ensuring data durability even if an entire zone fails. The asynchronous geo-replication to the secondary region uses a separate storage stamp, and the read-access feature exposes a secondary endpoint (e.g., *.secondary.blob.core.windows.net) that can be queried during an outage. Under the hood, the failover is manual and not automatic; you must initiate a storage account failover to promote the secondary to primary if needed.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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: RA-GZRS, because it combines zone redundancy, geo-replication, and read access to the secondary region. — RA-GZRS (Read-Access Geo-Zone-Redundant Storage) is the correct choice because it provides synchronous replication across three Azure availability zones in the primary region for zone resilience, asynchronous geo-replication to a secondary region for disaster recovery, and enables read access to the secondary copy during an outage. This meets all three requirements: zone resiliency, geo-replication, and readable secondary region.
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.
About these practice questions
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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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