Quick Answer
The answer is RA-GRS, or Read-Access Geo-Redundant Storage. This is the correct choice because it combines geo-redundancy—synchronously copying data to a paired secondary region for disaster recovery—with the ability to read from that secondary endpoint at any time, without waiting for a failover event. On the AZ-104 exam, this question tests your understanding of Azure Storage redundancy options and their trade-offs, particularly the distinction between GRS (which requires a manual or automatic failover to access the secondary) and RA-GRS (which grants immediate read access). A common trap is choosing GRS alone, forgetting that analysts need read access without failover. To remember: think of RA-GRS as "Read Always" for the secondary region—if you need to read from the backup without a failover, you need that "RA" prefix.
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 reporting team stores read-only analytics files in Azure Blob Storage. The files must replicate to a paired region so they survive a regional outage, and analysts want to read the secondary copy through the secondary endpoint without waiting for failover. Which redundancy option should the administrator choose?
LRS
Why wrong: LRS protects only within one location and does not include geographic replication.
ZRS
Why wrong: ZRS protects against zone loss, but it does not replicate to another region.
GRS
Why wrong: GRS replicates to a secondary region, but the secondary copy is not readable until failover.
RA-GRS
RA-GRS adds read access to the secondary region, which meets the analyst requirement without a failover event.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
RA-GRS
RA-GRS (Read-Access Geo-Redundant Storage) is the correct choice because it replicates data to a paired secondary region (geo-redundancy) and enables read access to the secondary copy via the secondary endpoint without requiring a failover. This meets the requirement for both regional disaster recovery and immediate read access to the secondary copy.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
LRS
Why it's wrong here
LRS protects only within one location and does not include geographic replication.
ZRS
Why it's wrong here
ZRS protects against zone loss, but it does not replicate to another region.
GRS
Why it's wrong here
GRS replicates to a secondary region, but the secondary copy is not readable until failover.
RA-GRS
Why this is correct
RA-GRS adds read access to the secondary region, which meets the analyst requirement without a failover event.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse GRS with RA-GRS, assuming that GRS automatically provides read access to the secondary copy, but in reality, GRS requires a failover to make the secondary endpoint readable, while RA-GRS explicitly enables read access without failover.
Detailed technical explanation
RA-GRS provides both geo-redundancy and a separate read-only endpoint (e.g., `https://<storage-account>-secondary.blob.core.windows.net`) that is always available for reading data from the secondary region. Under the hood, Azure replicates data asynchronously to the paired region, and the secondary endpoint can be used for analytics workloads without waiting for a manual or automatic failover, making it ideal for read-heavy, disaster-recovery scenarios.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Implement and Manage Storage — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Implement and Manage Storage practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All AZ-104 questions
1,170 questions across all exam domains
AZ-104 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
AZ-104 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Manage Azure Identities and Governance.
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Implement and Manage Storage.
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Deploy and Manage Azure Compute.
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Implement and Manage Virtual Networking.
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources.
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 Azure RBAC.
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 storage account.
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 virtual network.
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 NSG.
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 Azure Monitor.
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 backup.
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 managed identity.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Implement and Manage Storage — This question tests Implement and Manage Storage — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: RA-GRS — RA-GRS (Read-Access Geo-Redundant Storage) is the correct choice because it replicates data to a paired secondary region (geo-redundancy) and enables read access to the secondary copy via the secondary endpoint without requiring a failover. This meets the requirement for both regional disaster recovery and immediate read access to the secondary copy.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
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. A reporting application stores files in Azure Blob Storage. The business wants the secondary region to be readable if the primary region becomes unavailable. Which redundancy option should you use?
easyWhy C: Option C (RA-GRS) is correct because it provides geo-replication by asynchronously copying data to a secondary region and enables read access to that secondary endpoint. If the primary region becomes unavailable, the application can continue reading from the secondary region, meeting the business requirement for readable secondary access during a primary outage.
Keep practising
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.