A Windows VM and a Linux VM in Azure must use the same shared working folder for application files. The team does not want to run a separate file server, and both VMs must be able to mount the share by using native operating system tools. What should the administrator deploy?
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.
Distractor review
An Azure Blob container mounted as a local NTFS volume on both VMs
Blob containers do not provide a native shared file system mount that behaves like a regular shared folder for both operating systems.
Best answer
An Azure Files share mounted from Windows by using SMB and from Linux by using SMB or the Azure Files mount command
Azure Files is designed for shared file access from both Windows and Linux. It provides a managed file share that can be mounted with native tools, avoiding the need to operate a separate file server. This matches the requirement for a common working folder accessible from both operating systems.
Distractor review
A managed disk attached to both VMs in read-write mode
Managed disks cannot be attached in read-write mode to two independent VMs like a shared file server, so this would not satisfy concurrent access.
Distractor review
An Azure Queue storage account with application-level file synchronization
Queue storage is for message delivery, not for shared file access or mounting a common folder on two VMs.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
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?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: An Azure Files share mounted from Windows by using SMB and from Linux by using SMB or the Azure Files mount command — Azure Files is the right service because it offers a managed file share that both Windows and Linux can mount using native mechanisms. It gives the team a true shared folder without the overhead of maintaining a separate file server or designing custom synchronization. For cross-platform workloads, Azure Files is the standard Azure storage choice when file-system semantics are required. Why others are wrong: A confuses blobs with file shares; blobs are object storage, not a shared filesystem for mounted working folders. C is not a valid shared access pattern for two separate VMs. D is a messaging service and cannot replace a file share for direct file operations.
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
Sign in to join the discussion.