- A
Store the storage account key in an environment variable on the VM
Why wrong: This still exposes a long-lived secret on the VM and gives access far broader than the single container.
- B
Create a service SAS with write permission on the storage account
Why wrong: A SAS is still a shared secret, and using the account scope is broader than the single container requirement.
- C
Assign Storage Blob Data Contributor to the VM's managed identity at the container scope
A managed identity avoids stored credentials, and the Storage Blob Data Contributor role grants blob read/write permissions without exposing account keys. Assigning it at the container scope keeps access limited to one container instead of the whole storage account. This is the least-privilege, Azure-native approach for an app that needs ongoing upload access.
- D
Assign Contributor on the storage account to the VM's system-assigned identity
Why wrong: Contributor is an Azure Resource Manager role, not a data-plane blob access role, so it does not grant the needed container upload permissions.
Quick Answer
The answer is to assign the Storage Blob Data Contributor role to the VM’s managed identity at the container scope. This is correct because Azure managed identity provides an automatically managed service principal in Azure AD, allowing the VM to authenticate to Azure services without storing any credentials. By scoping the RBAC role assignment to the specific blob container rather than the entire storage account, you enforce the principle of least privilege—the application can write only to that container and nothing else. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of combining managed identities with Azure RBAC for secure resource access, and it commonly appears as a trap where candidates mistakenly assign a role at the storage account scope or fall back to SAS tokens. Remember the memory tip: “Container scope, no keys—just identity and RBAC please.”
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 runs an application that uploads files to a blob container every hour. Security forbids storing storage account keys or long-lived SAS tokens on the VM. The application must be able to write only to that container and nothing else. 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
Assign Storage Blob Data Contributor to the VM's managed identity at the container scope
Option C is correct because it uses Azure RBAC to grant the VM's managed identity the Storage Blob Data Contributor role at the container scope. This allows the application to write only to that specific container without requiring any storage account keys or SAS tokens on the VM, satisfying the security requirement. Managed identities provide an automatically managed service principal in Azure AD, enabling secure authentication to Azure services without storing credentials.
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.
- ✗
Store the storage account key in an environment variable on the VM
Why it's wrong here
This still exposes a long-lived secret on the VM and gives access far broader than the single container.
- ✗
Create a service SAS with write permission on the storage account
Why it's wrong here
A SAS is still a shared secret, and using the account scope is broader than the single container requirement.
- ✓
Assign Storage Blob Data Contributor to the VM's managed identity at the container scope
Why this is correct
A managed identity avoids stored credentials, and the Storage Blob Data Contributor role grants blob read/write permissions without exposing account keys. Assigning it at the container scope keeps access limited to one container instead of the whole storage account. This is the least-privilege, Azure-native approach for an app that needs ongoing upload access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Assign Contributor on the storage account to the VM's system-assigned identity
Why it's wrong here
Contributor is an Azure Resource Manager role, not a data-plane blob access role, so it does not grant the needed container upload permissions.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the Contributor role (which grants management-plane access) with the Storage Blob Data Contributor role (which grants data-plane access), and fail to realize that scoping the role to the container level is necessary to restrict access to only that container.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Azure RBAC for blob storage uses Azure AD authentication with OAuth 2.0 tokens. When a managed identity is assigned to a VM, Azure automatically rotates the identity's credentials and obtains tokens from Azure AD on behalf of the application. The Storage Blob Data Contributor role includes the 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/blobServices/containers/write' action, which when scoped to a container, restricts write operations to that container only. This approach also supports conditional access policies and audit logging via Azure AD, unlike SAS tokens.
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: Assign Storage Blob Data Contributor to the VM's managed identity at the container scope — Option C is correct because it uses Azure RBAC to grant the VM's managed identity the Storage Blob Data Contributor role at the container scope. This allows the application to write only to that specific container without requiring any storage account keys or SAS tokens on the VM, satisfying the security requirement. Managed identities provide an automatically managed service principal in Azure AD, enabling secure authentication to Azure services without storing credentials.
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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