- A
Turn off the storage account firewall and retry the mount anonymously.
Why wrong: Disabling the firewall does not solve authentication. Azure Files still requires proper authorization, and anonymous access is not the right security model.
- B
Grant the VM or user an Azure Files data-plane role, such as Storage File Data SMB Share Contributor, and use identity-based authentication.
When Azure Files is accessed over SMB without storage keys, the administrator should use identity-based authentication and assign the appropriate Azure Files data-plane role. This provides the permissions needed to mount and use the share while avoiding storage account keys. It is the correct fix when network access works but authorization fails.
- C
Create a network security group rule that allows TCP 445 to the share.
Why wrong: NSGs control traffic flow, but the mount failure here is an authentication problem, not a blocked port problem.
- D
Convert the storage account to a premium block blob account.
Why wrong: Changing to a different storage account type does not solve Azure Files authentication and would remove the file share scenario altogether.
AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage storage. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 team enabled Azure Files for a Windows-based application. The app can reach the storage account, but the mount fails because users cannot authenticate with the share. The team does not want to use the storage account key. What is the best next step?
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
Grant the VM or user an Azure Files data-plane role, such as Storage File Data SMB Share Contributor, and use identity-based authentication.
Option B is correct because Azure Files supports identity-based authentication over SMB using either on-premises Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) or Azure Active Directory Domain Services (Azure AD DS). By granting the VM or user the Storage File Data SMB Share Contributor role, the team enables Kerberos-based authentication, eliminating the need for the storage account key. This approach allows the mount to succeed while meeting the requirement to avoid using the shared key.
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.
- ✗
Turn off the storage account firewall and retry the mount anonymously.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling the firewall does not solve authentication. Azure Files still requires proper authorization, and anonymous access is not the right security model.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question stated that the storage account firewall is blocking access and the goal is to allow access from a specific trusted network or IP range, then adjusting the firewall rules (not turning it off completely) would be appropriate. However, the question's issue is authentication, not network connectivity.
- ✓
Grant the VM or user an Azure Files data-plane role, such as Storage File Data SMB Share Contributor, and use identity-based authentication.
Why this is correct
When Azure Files is accessed over SMB without storage keys, the administrator should use identity-based authentication and assign the appropriate Azure Files data-plane role. This provides the permissions needed to mount and use the share while avoiding storage account keys. It is the correct fix when network access works but authorization fails.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a network security group rule that allows TCP 445 to the share.
Why it's wrong here
NSGs control traffic flow, but the mount failure here is an authentication problem, not a blocked port problem.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the question described a scenario where the VM cannot reach the storage account due to a network restriction, such as a blocked port 445, and the goal is to enable SMB connectivity for Azure Files.
- ✗
Convert the storage account to a premium block blob account.
Why it's wrong here
Changing to a different storage account type does not solve Azure Files authentication and would remove the file share scenario altogether.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the question asked how to improve performance for a blob storage workload requiring low latency and high IOPS, such as a media streaming application, where upgrading to premium block blob storage is appropriate.
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.
✓Grant the VM or user an Azure Files data-plane role, such as Storage File Data SMB Share Contributor, and use identity-based authentication.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
When Azure Files is accessed over SMB without storage keys, the administrator should use identity-based authentication and assign the appropriate Azure Files data-plane role. This provides the permissions needed to mount and use the share while avoiding storage account keys. It is the correct fix when network access works but authorization fails.
✗Turn off the storage account firewall and retry the mount anonymously.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Turning off the storage account firewall and mounting anonymously would bypass authentication entirely, which is insecure and not a supported method for Azure Files SMB access. Azure Files requires proper authentication, and anonymous access is not available for SMB shares.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question stated that the storage account firewall is blocking access and the goal is to allow access from a specific trusted network or IP range, then adjusting the firewall rules (not turning it off completely) would be appropriate. However, the question's issue is authentication, not network connectivity.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that disabling the firewall simplifies connectivity, assuming the mount failure is due to network restrictions rather than authentication. They might overlook that Azure Files SMB requires identity-based authentication or a storage account key.
✗Create a network security group rule that allows TCP 445 to the share.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The mount failure is due to authentication, not network connectivity. NSG rules control network traffic but do not address identity-based authentication required for accessing Azure Files without the storage account key.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the question described a scenario where the VM cannot reach the storage account due to a network restriction, such as a blocked port 445, and the goal is to enable SMB connectivity for Azure Files.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse network connectivity issues with authentication issues, assuming that allowing port 445 will resolve all Azure Files mount problems, especially since SMB requires this port.
✗Convert the storage account to a premium block blob account.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Converting to a premium block blob account does not address authentication for Azure Files; block blobs are for object storage, not SMB file shares, and the issue is identity-based access, not performance.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the question asked how to improve performance for a blob storage workload requiring low latency and high IOPS, such as a media streaming application, where upgrading to premium block blob storage is appropriate.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think 'premium' solves all problems or confuse Azure Files with blob storage, assuming a premium tier would fix access issues without understanding the fundamental difference between file and blob services.
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 network-level connectivity (TCP 445) with authentication requirements, assuming that opening the port alone will fix the mount failure, when in fact the issue is the lack of a valid identity-based authentication mechanism.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Changing to a different storage account type does not solve Azure Files authentication and would remove the file share scenario altogether.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Files uses the SMB 3.0 protocol, which requires either storage account key-based authentication or Kerberos tickets from a domain controller. When identity-based authentication is configured, the client obtains a Kerberos ticket from AD DS or Azure AD DS, which is then presented to the Azure Files service for access control based on NTFS permissions and Azure RBAC roles. This integration allows fine-grained access control without exposing the storage account key, and it supports both Windows and Linux clients that can join the domain.
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: Grant the VM or user an Azure Files data-plane role, such as Storage File Data SMB Share Contributor, and use identity-based authentication. — Option B is correct because Azure Files supports identity-based authentication over SMB using either on-premises Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) or Azure Active Directory Domain Services (Azure AD DS). By granting the VM or user the Storage File Data SMB Share Contributor role, the team enables Kerberos-based authentication, eliminating the need for the storage account key. This approach allows the mount to succeed while meeting the requirement to avoid using the shared key.
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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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