Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A Windows file server VM must mount an Azure file share by using domain credentials instead of a storage account key. The organization already manages users in Active Directory Domain Services. Which authentication option should be configured for Azure Files?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
Shared key authentication, because it is the default for Azure file shares.
Shared key access works, but it does not use domain credentials and is not the requested authentication model.
B
Best answer
Identity-based authentication with Active Directory Domain Services.
Azure Files can use identity-based authentication so Windows clients access the share with their domain identities instead of storage keys. In an environment that already has Active Directory Domain Services, that is the appropriate configuration for SMB-based access. It supports centralized identity management, aligns with existing Windows admin practices, and avoids embedding account keys in scripts or connection strings.
C
Distractor review
A service SAS created for the share and mapped as a network drive.
A service SAS grants token-based access, but it is not the same as using domain credentials for Windows share access.
D
Distractor review
Anonymous access with public network restrictions disabled.
Azure Files does not provide anonymous share access for secure enterprise use.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
Related practice questions
Related AZ-104 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
AZ-104 Azure RBAC practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 Azure RBAC.
AZ-104 storage account practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 storage account.
AZ-104 virtual network practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 virtual network.
AZ-104 NSG practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 NSG.
AZ-104 Azure Monitor practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 Azure Monitor.
AZ-104 backup practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 backup.
AZ-104 managed identity practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 managed identity.
AZ-104 load balancer practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 load balancer.
AZ-104 Azure Policy practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 Azure Policy.
AZ-104 virtual machine practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 virtual machine.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A route table contains these entries: 10.0.0.0/8 with next hop Virtual appliance, and 10.1.1.0/24 with next hop Virtual network gateway. Which next hop will Azure use for traffic to 10.1.1.5?
Question 2
You are deploying a stateless web application on Azure virtual machines. The solution must automatically add and remove instances based on CPU demand and allow all instances to be managed as one logical group. Which Azure compute feature should you deploy?
Question 3
You are deploying a Windows Server VM for an internal app. The VM must support Secure Boot and vTPM later, its OS disk must survive host moves, and the team wants the lowest-cost managed disk tier that still behaves like a normal writable OS disk. Which two choices should you make? Select two.
Question 4
You need to deploy several identical virtual machines and ensure that the failure of a single Azure host does not affect all of them. Which feature should you use?
Question 5
You need to connect VNet-Hub and VNet-Spoke so that resources in both virtual networks can communicate privately over the Microsoft backbone. Both virtual networks are in the same region. What should you configure?
Question 6
You need to create a storage account that provides the lowest-cost redundant storage for non-critical data and only needs protection against local disk or server failure within a single datacenter. Which redundancy option should you choose?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-104 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Identity-based authentication with Active Directory Domain Services. — For a Windows VM that should mount Azure Files using user identities, identity-based authentication with Active Directory Domain Services is the right choice. It lets the VM authenticate as a domain user or computer account over SMB rather than using a storage account key. That matches the requirement to integrate with the organization's existing identity platform and provides a more manageable, enterprise-friendly access model. Why others are wrong: Shared key authentication is functional but does not satisfy the requirement to use domain credentials. A SAS token is a delegated access mechanism, not normal domain-based file-share authentication. Anonymous access is not appropriate for secure business file storage and is not how Azure Files is typically secured.
What should I do if I get this AZ-104 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
Discussion
Loading comments…
Sign in to join the discussion.