- A
ZRS
Why wrong: ZRS protects against a zone outage, but it does not replicate data to another region for disaster recovery.
- B
GZRS
GZRS protects against zone failure and also replicates data to a paired region for disaster recovery.
- C
RA-GZRS
Why wrong: RA-GZRS adds read access to the secondary region, which the team does not need in this requirement.
- D
GRS
Why wrong: GRS copies data to a paired region, but it does not provide zone-redundant protection in the primary region.
Question 680 of 1,170
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.
A workload uses Azure Blob Storage for customer uploads. The team wants protection against a datacenter failure within the primary region and wants data copied to a paired region for disaster recovery, but they do not need to read from the secondary region during normal operations. Which redundancy option fits best?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
✓
GZRS
GZRS (Geo-Zone-Redundant Storage) is correct because it combines ZRS within the primary region (synchronously replicating data across three Azure availability zones) with asynchronous geo-replication to a paired secondary region. This provides protection against both a datacenter failure (via ZRS) and a full region failure (via geo-replication), while the lack of read access from the secondary during normal operations matches the requirement exactly.
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.
- ✗
ZRS
Why it's wrong here
ZRS protects against a zone outage, but it does not replicate data to another region for disaster recovery.
When this WOULD be correct
A question where the requirement is to protect against a datacenter failure within a single region (e.g., an availability zone outage) and there is no need for cross-region replication. For example: 'A workload requires high availability within a single region and can tolerate a zone failure, but does not need geo-redundancy.'
- ✓
GZRS
Why this is correct
GZRS protects against zone failure and also replicates data to a paired region for disaster recovery.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
RA-GZRS
Why it's wrong here
RA-GZRS adds read access to the secondary region, which the team does not need in this requirement.
When this WOULD be correct
A scenario where the workload requires read access to the secondary region for high availability, such as serving read requests from the secondary during a regional outage, would make RA-GZRS correct.
- ✗
GRS
Why it's wrong here
GRS copies data to a paired region, but it does not provide zone-redundant protection in the primary region.
When this WOULD be correct
GRS would be correct if the question only required disaster recovery to a paired region without needing protection against a datacenter failure within the primary region, and the workload could tolerate potential data loss during a regional disaster.
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.
✓GZRSCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
GZRS protects against zone failure and also replicates data to a paired region for disaster recovery.
✗ZRSWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
ZRS replicates data synchronously across multiple availability zones within a single region, but does not copy data to a paired region for disaster recovery, failing to meet the requirement for protection against a datacenter failure in the primary region and cross-region DR.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question where the requirement is to protect against a datacenter failure within a single region (e.g., an availability zone outage) and there is no need for cross-region replication. For example: 'A workload requires high availability within a single region and can tolerate a zone failure, but does not need geo-redundancy.'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse ZRS with geo-redundant options because ZRS provides redundancy across zones, and they might overlook the requirement for cross-region disaster recovery to a paired region.
✗RA-GZRSWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
RA-GZRS provides read access to the secondary region, but the question states they do not need to read from the secondary during normal operations, making GZRS (without read access) the correct choice.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A scenario where the workload requires read access to the secondary region for high availability, such as serving read requests from the secondary during a regional outage, would make RA-GZRS correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse GZRS with RA-GZRS, thinking the 'read-access' feature is always beneficial, or they may overlook the explicit requirement that read access is not needed.
✗GRSWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
GRS replicates data to a paired region for disaster recovery but does not provide protection against a datacenter failure within the primary region because it uses LRS locally. The question requires protection against a datacenter failure within the primary region, which GRS lacks.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
GRS would be correct if the question only required disaster recovery to a paired region without needing protection against a datacenter failure within the primary region, and the workload could tolerate potential data loss during a regional disaster.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse GRS with GZRS, thinking that GRS also provides zone-level redundancy within the primary region, or they may overlook the requirement for protection against a datacenter failure within the primary region.
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 GRS with GZRS, assuming GRS provides zone-level redundancy, but GRS only uses LRS in the primary region, leaving data vulnerable to a single datacenter failure within that region.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, GZRS uses synchronous replication across three availability zones in the primary region (similar to ZRS) to ensure durability against zone failures, then asynchronously copies blocks to a paired region. The asynchronous geo-replication has a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of typically less than 15 minutes, meaning some data loss is possible during a regional disaster. In a real-world scenario, if a primary region datacenter fails but the other zones remain operational, GZRS ensures no data loss; if the entire primary region fails, the secondary copy is available for manual failover (without read access until failover is initiated).
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.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Azure Blob Storage Tier Comparison
| Tier | Storage Cost | Retrieval Cost | Latency | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot | Highest | Lowest | Immediate | Active data, frequent reads |
| Cool | Lower | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / month |
| Cold | Lower still | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / quarter |
| Archive | Lowest | Highest + rehydration delay | Hours | Long-term compliance retention |
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: GZRS — GZRS (Geo-Zone-Redundant Storage) is correct because it combines ZRS within the primary region (synchronously replicating data across three Azure availability zones) with asynchronous geo-replication to a paired secondary region. This provides protection against both a datacenter failure (via ZRS) and a full region failure (via geo-replication), while the lack of read access from the secondary during normal operations matches the requirement exactly.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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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