- A
The storage account access key in an application setting, because it works with any blob operation.
Why wrong: An access key is a secret and grants broad control over the storage account, which violates the requirement to avoid stored credentials and limit permissions.
- B
A system-assigned managed identity for the app with Storage Blob Data Reader assigned at the storage scope.
A managed identity lets the app authenticate to Azure Storage without storing credentials, and the Storage Blob Data Reader role grants only blob data read access. Assigning the role at the storage account scope keeps the permission focused on the intended resource while avoiding management-plane rights. This is the most secure operational pattern for an Azure-hosted app that only needs to read blobs.
- C
The Contributor role on the storage account, because it includes both management and data permissions.
Why wrong: Contributor is a management-plane role and does not provide the specific blob data authorization pattern required here. It is also broader than needed.
- D
A service endpoint on the subnet, because service endpoints are used for application authentication.
Why wrong: Service endpoints affect network reachability, not identity-based authentication. They do not replace the need for a managed identity or other credential mechanism.
AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage storage. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 web app running in Azure App Service must read blobs from a storage account. The app must authenticate without storing secrets or SAS tokens, and administrators should grant only blob data permissions, not storage management permissions. What should you configure?
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
A system-assigned managed identity for the app with Storage Blob Data Reader assigned at the storage scope.
Option B is correct because a system-assigned managed identity allows the App Service to authenticate to Azure Storage without storing any secrets or SAS tokens. By assigning the Storage Blob Data Reader role at the storage account scope, you grant only the necessary blob read permissions while explicitly excluding any storage management permissions (e.g., creating or deleting storage accounts). This aligns with the principle of least privilege and eliminates credential management overhead.
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.
- ✗
The storage account access key in an application setting, because it works with any blob operation.
Why it's wrong here
An access key is a secret and grants broad control over the storage account, which violates the requirement to avoid stored credentials and limit permissions.
- ✓
A system-assigned managed identity for the app with Storage Blob Data Reader assigned at the storage scope.
Why this is correct
A managed identity lets the app authenticate to Azure Storage without storing credentials, and the Storage Blob Data Reader role grants only blob data read access. Assigning the role at the storage account scope keeps the permission focused on the intended resource while avoiding management-plane rights. This is the most secure operational pattern for an Azure-hosted app that only needs to read blobs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The Contributor role on the storage account, because it includes both management and data permissions.
Why it's wrong here
Contributor is a management-plane role and does not provide the specific blob data authorization pattern required here. It is also broader than needed.
- ✗
A service endpoint on the subnet, because service endpoints are used for application authentication.
Why it's wrong here
Service endpoints affect network reachability, not identity-based authentication. They do not replace the need for a managed identity or other credential mechanism.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse RBAC roles like Contributor (which grants management permissions only) with data plane roles like Storage Blob Data Reader, or they mistakenly think service endpoints provide authentication instead of network-level access control.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, a system-assigned managed identity creates a service principal in Azure AD automatically tied to the App Service instance. When the app requests a blob, it obtains an OAuth 2.0 access token from Azure AD (via the instance metadata service endpoint at 169.254.169.254) and presents it to Azure Storage, which validates the token against the assigned RBAC role. This token-based flow supports conditional access policies and audit logging, and it works seamlessly with Azure Storage's OAuth 2.0 support (REST API version 2017-11-09 and later).
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: A system-assigned managed identity for the app with Storage Blob Data Reader assigned at the storage scope. — Option B is correct because a system-assigned managed identity allows the App Service to authenticate to Azure Storage without storing any secrets or SAS tokens. By assigning the Storage Blob Data Reader role at the storage account scope, you grant only the necessary blob read permissions while explicitly excluding any storage management permissions (e.g., creating or deleting storage accounts). This aligns with the principle of least privilege and eliminates credential management overhead.
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
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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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