- A
Use Azure Files with Active Directory Domain Services authentication and grant permissions to the required AD group.
This provides password-based domain authentication for SMB access without using storage keys or SAS. Both Windows and Linux clients can mount the share when they are domain joined and the share permissions are assigned correctly.
- B
Use a private endpoint and rely on network isolation instead of authentication.
Why wrong: Network isolation protects the path, but it does not authenticate users or satisfy the requirement to mount the share securely without keys or SAS.
- C
Use the storage account access key because SMB requires shared-key authentication.
Why wrong: Shared keys are explicitly disallowed, and Azure Files supports identity-based authentication for this scenario.
- D
Use Azure Files NFS authentication because Linux and Windows workloads can both mount it.
Why wrong: NFS is not the right answer for a mixed Windows and Linux SMB requirement, and Windows SMB interoperability is the key design point here.
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 Windows VM and a Linux VM in the same on-premises Active Directory Domain Services domain must mount the same Azure Files share over SMB. Security policy forbids storage account keys and long-lived SAS tokens. What should the administrator 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
Use Azure Files with Active Directory Domain Services authentication and grant permissions to the required AD group.
Option A is correct because Azure Files supports identity-based authentication over SMB using on-premises Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). By enabling AD DS authentication for the storage account and granting share-level permissions to an AD group that includes both the Windows and Linux VMs, the administrator can mount the Azure Files share without using storage account keys or SAS tokens. This satisfies the security policy while allowing SMB access from both operating systems.
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.
- ✓
Use Azure Files with Active Directory Domain Services authentication and grant permissions to the required AD group.
Why this is correct
This provides password-based domain authentication for SMB access without using storage keys or SAS. Both Windows and Linux clients can mount the share when they are domain joined and the share permissions are assigned correctly.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a private endpoint and rely on network isolation instead of authentication.
Why it's wrong here
Network isolation protects the path, but it does not authenticate users or satisfy the requirement to mount the share securely without keys or SAS.
- ✗
Use the storage account access key because SMB requires shared-key authentication.
Why it's wrong here
Shared keys are explicitly disallowed, and Azure Files supports identity-based authentication for this scenario.
- ✗
Use Azure Files NFS authentication because Linux and Windows workloads can both mount it.
Why it's wrong here
NFS is not the right answer for a mixed Windows and Linux SMB requirement, and Windows SMB interoperability is the key design point here.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume NFS is the only cross-platform option for Linux and Windows, overlooking that Azure Files SMB with AD DS authentication supports both operating systems when domain-joined.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Shared keys are explicitly disallowed, and Azure Files supports identity-based authentication for this scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Files AD DS authentication leverages Kerberos tickets for identity-based access, allowing both Windows and Linux clients that are domain-joined to authenticate seamlessly. On Linux, the CIFS-utils package with kernel support for Kerberos (e.g., using `mount.cifs` with `sec=krb5`) enables SMB mounting without storing credentials. A common real-world scenario is a hybrid environment where legacy applications on Windows and modern Linux workloads need shared file access without exposing keys.
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: Use Azure Files with Active Directory Domain Services authentication and grant permissions to the required AD group. — Option A is correct because Azure Files supports identity-based authentication over SMB using on-premises Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). By enabling AD DS authentication for the storage account and granting share-level permissions to an AD group that includes both the Windows and Linux VMs, the administrator can mount the Azure Files share without using storage account keys or SAS tokens. This satisfies the security policy while allowing SMB access from both operating systems.
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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