- A
Microsoft Entra ID authorization with an appropriate Azure RBAC role.
Entra ID plus RBAC lets the app authenticate as a user, group, or managed identity without handling a storage key.
- B
A user delegation SAS generated through Microsoft Entra ID.
A user delegation SAS is signed through Entra ID-based authorization and avoids exposing the storage account key to the app.
- C
The storage account access key.
Why wrong: An access key is a long-lived secret and must be stored somewhere the app can read it, which breaks the requirement.
- D
A service SAS generated directly from the account key.
Why wrong: A service SAS still depends on the account key for signing, so the key must be protected and is not eliminated.
- E
Anonymous public access to the container.
Why wrong: Anonymous access exposes data broadly and is not appropriate for a secure application that needs controlled blob access.
AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage storage. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Which two authentication methods let an app access blob data without storing the storage account key on the machine? Select two.
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
Microsoft Entra ID authorization with an appropriate Azure RBAC role.
Option A is correct because Microsoft Entra ID authorization with an appropriate Azure RBAC role (e.g., Storage Blob Data Contributor) allows an app to authenticate to blob storage using OAuth 2.0 tokens, eliminating the need to store the storage account key on the machine. Option B is correct because a user delegation SAS is signed with Microsoft Entra ID credentials and can be generated without the account key, providing time-limited, scoped access to blob data.
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.
- ✓
Microsoft Entra ID authorization with an appropriate Azure RBAC role.
Why this is correct
Entra ID plus RBAC lets the app authenticate as a user, group, or managed identity without handling a storage key.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
A user delegation SAS generated through Microsoft Entra ID.
Why this is correct
A user delegation SAS is signed through Entra ID-based authorization and avoids exposing the storage account key to the app.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The storage account access key.
Why it's wrong here
An access key is a long-lived secret and must be stored somewhere the app can read it, which breaks the requirement.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct in a question that asks for a method to authenticate access to blob data when the application can securely store the key (e.g., in Azure Key Vault) or when the question does not prohibit storing the key on the machine.
- ✗
A service SAS generated directly from the account key.
Why it's wrong here
A service SAS still depends on the account key for signing, so the key must be protected and is not eliminated.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question asked 'Which method allows an app to access blob data with time-limited access and without storing the account key on the machine, but the app can retrieve the key from a secure vault at runtime?' then a service SAS generated from the account key (retrieved from a vault) would be correct.
- ✗
Anonymous public access to the container.
Why it's wrong here
Anonymous access exposes data broadly and is not appropriate for a secure application that needs controlled blob access.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question were 'Which method allows public read access to blob data without requiring authentication?' then anonymous public access would be correct, as it enables unauthenticated access to containers configured for public access.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The AZ-104 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Microsoft Entra ID authorization with an appropriate Azure RBAC role.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Entra ID plus RBAC lets the app authenticate as a user, group, or managed identity without handling a storage key.
✗The storage account access key.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The storage account access key provides full control over the storage account, but it must be stored on the machine to authenticate requests, which violates the requirement of not storing the key on the machine.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct in a question that asks for a method to authenticate access to blob data when the application can securely store the key (e.g., in Azure Key Vault) or when the question does not prohibit storing the key on the machine.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates often default to using access keys because they are familiar and simple, overlooking the explicit constraint in the question about not storing the key on the machine.
✗A service SAS generated directly from the account key.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A service SAS generated from the account key still requires the storage account key to create it, and the key is stored on the machine or in the code, violating the constraint of not storing the key.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question asked 'Which method allows an app to access blob data with time-limited access and without storing the account key on the machine, but the app can retrieve the key from a secure vault at runtime?' then a service SAS generated from the account key (retrieved from a vault) would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think a SAS token itself does not expose the account key, so it avoids storing the key, but they overlook that generating a service SAS requires the account key to be present at creation time.
✗Anonymous public access to the container.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Anonymous public access allows anyone to read blob data without authentication, but it does not involve any authentication method for an app; the app would simply access the data without storing a key, but the question requires an authentication method, not the absence of one.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question were 'Which method allows public read access to blob data without requiring authentication?' then anonymous public access would be correct, as it enables unauthenticated access to containers configured for public access.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think anonymous access avoids storing keys, but they overlook that the question asks for authentication methods; anonymous access is not an authentication method but a permission setting that bypasses authentication entirely.
Analysis generated from the official AZ-104blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse a service SAS (which still requires the account key) with a user delegation SAS (which does not), or they mistakenly think that anonymous access is a valid authentication method for an app.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Microsoft Entra ID authorization uses OAuth 2.0 to issue an access token that the app presents to Azure Storage; the token is validated against Azure RBAC roles, which can be scoped to a specific container or blob. A user delegation SAS is signed with a user delegation key derived from the app's Microsoft Entra ID token, and its permissions are defined by the RBAC role of the requesting identity, offering fine-grained, keyless access. In a real-world scenario, a web app running in Azure App Service can use a managed identity to obtain tokens without storing any secrets, making it ideal for secure, keyless blob access.
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.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
What to study next
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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: Microsoft Entra ID authorization with an appropriate Azure RBAC role. — Option A is correct because Microsoft Entra ID authorization with an appropriate Azure RBAC role (e.g., Storage Blob Data Contributor) allows an app to authenticate to blob storage using OAuth 2.0 tokens, eliminating the need to store the storage account key on the machine. Option B is correct because a user delegation SAS is signed with Microsoft Entra ID credentials and can be generated without the account key, providing time-limited, scoped access to blob data.
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
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