- A
Turn off the storage account firewall and retry the mount anonymously.
Why wrong: Disabling the firewall does not solve authentication. Azure Files still requires proper authorization, and anonymous access is not the right security model.
- B
Grant the VM or user an Azure Files data-plane role, such as Storage File Data SMB Share Contributor, and use identity-based authentication.
When Azure Files is accessed over SMB without storage keys, the administrator should use identity-based authentication and assign the appropriate Azure Files data-plane role. This provides the permissions needed to mount and use the share while avoiding storage account keys. It is the correct fix when network access works but authorization fails.
- C
Create a network security group rule that allows TCP 445 to the share.
Why wrong: NSGs control traffic flow, but the mount failure here is an authentication problem, not a blocked port problem.
- D
Convert the storage account to a premium block blob account.
Why wrong: Changing to a different storage account type does not solve Azure Files authentication and would remove the file share scenario altogether.
Quick Answer
The answer is to grant the VM or user an Azure Files data-plane role like Storage File Data SMB Share Contributor and use identity-based authentication. This is correct because Azure Files supports Kerberos-based authentication over SMB when you integrate with either on-premises Active Directory Domain Services or Azure AD DS, allowing the mount to succeed without ever exposing the storage account key. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of shared access versus role-based access for file shares—a common trap is assuming you must fall back to the storage account key when authentication fails, but the exam wants you to recognize that identity-based authentication is the secure alternative. Remember the memory tip: “No key, just Kerberos”—if the question says “no storage account key,” immediately think of assigning a data-plane role and enabling identity-based authentication for the Azure Files mount.
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 team enabled Azure Files for a Windows-based application. The app can reach the storage account, but the mount fails because users cannot authenticate with the share. The team does not want to use the storage account key. What is the best next step?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Grant the VM or user an Azure Files data-plane role, such as Storage File Data SMB Share Contributor, and use identity-based authentication.
Option B is correct because Azure Files supports identity-based authentication over SMB using either on-premises Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) or Azure Active Directory Domain Services (Azure AD DS). By granting the VM or user the Storage File Data SMB Share Contributor role, the team enables Kerberos-based authentication, eliminating the need for the storage account key. This approach allows the mount to succeed while meeting the requirement to avoid using the shared key.
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.
- ✗
Turn off the storage account firewall and retry the mount anonymously.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling the firewall does not solve authentication. Azure Files still requires proper authorization, and anonymous access is not the right security model.
- ✓
Grant the VM or user an Azure Files data-plane role, such as Storage File Data SMB Share Contributor, and use identity-based authentication.
Why this is correct
When Azure Files is accessed over SMB without storage keys, the administrator should use identity-based authentication and assign the appropriate Azure Files data-plane role. This provides the permissions needed to mount and use the share while avoiding storage account keys. It is the correct fix when network access works but authorization fails.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a network security group rule that allows TCP 445 to the share.
Why it's wrong here
NSGs control traffic flow, but the mount failure here is an authentication problem, not a blocked port problem.
- ✗
Convert the storage account to a premium block blob account.
Why it's wrong here
Changing to a different storage account type does not solve Azure Files authentication and would remove the file share scenario altogether.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse network-level connectivity (TCP 445) with authentication requirements, assuming that opening the port alone will fix the mount failure, when in fact the issue is the lack of a valid identity-based authentication mechanism.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Changing to a different storage account type does not solve Azure Files authentication and would remove the file share scenario altogether.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Files uses the SMB 3.0 protocol, which requires either storage account key-based authentication or Kerberos tickets from a domain controller. When identity-based authentication is configured, the client obtains a Kerberos ticket from AD DS or Azure AD DS, which is then presented to the Azure Files service for access control based on NTFS permissions and Azure RBAC roles. This integration allows fine-grained access control without exposing the storage account key, and it supports both Windows and Linux clients that can join the domain.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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: Grant the VM or user an Azure Files data-plane role, such as Storage File Data SMB Share Contributor, and use identity-based authentication. — Option B is correct because Azure Files supports identity-based authentication over SMB using either on-premises Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) or Azure Active Directory Domain Services (Azure AD DS). By granting the VM or user the Storage File Data SMB Share Contributor role, the team enables Kerberos-based authentication, eliminating the need for the storage account key. This approach allows the mount to succeed while meeting the requirement to avoid using the shared key.
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: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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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