The answer is a service endpoint. This is the correct choice because a service endpoint extends your virtual network’s private address space and identity to Azure Storage over a direct connection, allowing the storage account to remain reachable through its public endpoint while restricting access exclusively to traffic from the specified subnet. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how service endpoints differ from private endpoints—a common trap is confusing the two, since private endpoints also secure access but use a private IP inside the subnet, which removes public endpoint reachability entirely. The key distinction for the exam is that service endpoints keep the public endpoint active but filter by subnet, whereas private endpoints replace it with a private IP. A helpful memory tip: think of a service endpoint as a “VIP list” at a public door—the door stays open, but only guests from your subnet’s virtual network are allowed in.
AZ-104 Implement and Manage Virtual Networking Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage virtual networking. 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.
Exhibit
Storage access requirement: the public endpoint must stay enabled; access must be limited to one Azure subnet; no private IP should be created in the virtual network; administrators do not want a private DNS zone.
Based on the exhibit, which feature should be enabled on the subnet so the storage account remains reachable through its public endpoint but only from that subnet?
Storage access requirement: the public endpoint must stay enabled; access must be limited to one Azure subnet; no private IP should be created in the virtual network; administrators do not want a private DNS zone.
A
Private endpoint
Why wrong: A private endpoint creates a private IP and changes the connectivity model, which the exhibit forbids.
B
Service endpoint
A service endpoint lets the subnet reach the service over Azure backbone without creating a private IP.
C
Azure Bastion
Why wrong: Bastion is for VM management access, not for controlling storage account network access.
D
VPN Gateway
Why wrong: A VPN Gateway provides network tunneling, but it does not enforce subnet-only access to the storage service.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Service endpoint
Service endpoints (B) extend the virtual network private address space and the identity of the VNet to Azure services over a direct connection. By enabling a Microsoft.Storage service endpoint on the subnet and configuring the storage account firewall to allow access only from that subnet's virtual network, the storage account remains reachable via its public endpoint but only from the specified subnet, without requiring a public IP on the subnet.
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.
✗
Private endpoint
Why it's wrong here
A private endpoint creates a private IP and changes the connectivity model, which the exhibit forbids.
✓
Service endpoint
Why this is correct
A service endpoint lets the subnet reach the service over Azure backbone without creating a private IP.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Azure Bastion
Why it's wrong here
Bastion is for VM management access, not for controlling storage account network access.
✗
VPN Gateway
Why it's wrong here
A VPNGateway provides network tunneling, but it does not enforce subnet-only access to the storage service.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse private endpoints with service endpoints, mistakenly thinking a private endpoint is required for subnet-level access control, when in fact service endpoints achieve the same goal while preserving public endpoint accessibility.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Service endpoints use the Azure backbone to route traffic from the subnet to the storage account without traversing the internet, and the storage account firewall evaluates the source virtual network ID (not just the source IP) to permit access. The subnet's service endpoint policy can further restrict traffic to specific storage accounts, and the storage account's firewall rules use the 'VirtualNetwork' rule type with the subnet's resource ID. This mechanism relies on route propagation via BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) within Azure's SDN (Software-Defined Networking) fabric, ensuring traffic stays on Microsoft's network.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-104 question in full detail.
Implement and Manage Virtual Networking — This question tests Implement and Manage Virtual Networking — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Service endpoint — Service endpoints (B) extend the virtual network private address space and the identity of the VNet to Azure services over a direct connection. By enabling a Microsoft.Storage service endpoint on the subnet and configuring the storage account firewall to allow access only from that subnet's virtual network, the storage account remains reachable via its public endpoint but only from the specified subnet, without requiring a public IP on the subnet.
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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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Based on the exhibit, which network feature should you use so only the subnet can reach the storage account while still using the public endpoint?
medium
A.Create a private endpoint and disable the storage account public endpoint.
✓ B.Enable a service endpoint on app-subnet and allow that subnet on the storage firewall.
C.Add a NAT gateway to app-subnet and use the NAT public IP for firewall rules.
D.Peer app-subnet with a new VNet and access the storage account through peering.
Why B: Option B is correct because enabling a service endpoint on the app-subnet allows traffic from that subnet to reach the storage account over the Azure backbone network while still using the public endpoint. By then adding the subnet to the storage account firewall, you restrict access to only that subnet, ensuring no other internet traffic can reach the storage account. This approach leverages the public endpoint but with subnet-level access control, meeting the requirement.
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Question Discussion
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