- A
LRS
Why wrong: LRS keeps copies inside one datacenter only, so it does not address a zone outage or a region outage.
- B
ZRS
Why wrong: ZRS protects against a zone failure, but it does not replicate the data to another region for regional disaster recovery.
- C
GRS
Why wrong: GRS adds geo-replication, but the primary copy is not zone-redundant, so it misses the single-zone failure requirement.
- D
GZRS
GZRS combines zone redundancy in the primary region with geo-replication to the paired region, meeting both resilience goals.
- E
RA-GZRS
RA-GZRS provides the same zone-redundant and geo-replicated protection as GZRS, with optional read access to the secondary region.
Question 1,030 of 1,170
GZRS: Geo-Zone-Redundant Storage Without Read Access
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 finance archive stores critical blobs in an Azure region that supports availability zones. The data must survive a single zone failure and also remain available if the primary region becomes unavailable. The team does not need a read-only endpoint in the secondary region during normal operations. Which two redundancy models satisfy the requirement? Select two.
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
D (GZRS) is correct because it combines zone-redundant storage (ZRS) within the primary region to survive a single zone failure with geo-redundancy (GRS) to replicate data asynchronously to a secondary region, ensuring availability if the primary region becomes unavailable. Since the team does not need a read-only endpoint in the secondary region during normal operations, GZRS (which does not provide read access to the secondary region unless a failover occurs) meets the requirement without the extra cost or feature of RA-GZRS.
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.
- ✗
LRS
Why it's wrong here
LRS keeps copies inside one datacenter only, so it does not address a zone outage or a region outage.
When this WOULD be correct
A question that requires only local durability within a single data center, with no need for zone or region resilience, and cost is the primary concern. For example, 'Which redundancy option provides the lowest cost while protecting against server rack failures?'
- ✗
ZRS
Why it's wrong here
ZRS protects against a zone failure, but it does not replicate the data to another region for regional disaster recovery.
When this WOULD be correct
A scenario where the requirement is to survive a single zone failure within a region, but there is no need for cross-region disaster recovery, and the data must remain available only within the primary region.
- ✗
GRS
Why it's wrong here
GRS adds geo-replication, but the primary copy is not zone-redundant, so it misses the single-zone failure requirement.
When this WOULD be correct
A question where the requirement is to survive a regional outage but not a zone failure within the primary region, and where a read-only endpoint in the secondary region is not needed during normal operations.
- ✓
GZRS
Why this is correct
GZRS combines zone redundancy in the primary region with geo-replication to the paired region, meeting both resilience goals.
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 this is correct
RA-GZRS provides the same zone-redundant and geo-replicated protection as GZRS, with optional read access to the secondary region.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 combines zone redundancy in the primary region with geo-replication to the paired region, meeting both resilience goals.
✗LRSWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
LRS replicates data only within a single data center in the primary region, so it cannot survive a zone failure (which affects an entire availability zone) and does not provide any secondary region availability.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question that requires only local durability within a single data center, with no need for zone or region resilience, and cost is the primary concern. For example, 'Which redundancy option provides the lowest cost while protecting against server rack failures?'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may mistakenly think LRS provides zone-level protection because it replicates within a region, but it actually only protects against local hardware failures within one data center.
✗ZRSWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
ZRS protects against a single zone failure but does not provide geo-redundancy; if the primary region becomes unavailable, data is not accessible from a secondary region.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A scenario where the requirement is to survive a single zone failure within a region, but there is no need for cross-region disaster recovery, and the data must remain available only within the primary region.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse zone-level redundancy with region-level redundancy, or overlook the requirement for availability during a primary region outage.
✗GRSWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
GRS does not provide zone-level resilience within the primary region; it only replicates data to a secondary region. The requirement to survive a single zone failure in the primary region is not met.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question where the requirement is to survive a regional outage but not a zone failure within the primary region, and where a read-only endpoint in the secondary region is not needed during normal operations.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse GRS with GZRS, thinking that geo-replication inherently includes zone redundancy, or they may overlook the specific need for zone-level resilience in 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 GZRS with RA-GZRS, assuming that geo-redundancy always provides read access to the secondary region, or they overlook that ZRS alone cannot handle a regional outage, leading them to incorrectly select ZRS or GRS instead of the correct combination of zone and geo redundancy.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
GZRS (Geo-Zone-Redundant Storage) uses synchronous replication across three availability zones in the primary region (ZRS) and then asynchronously replicates to a single data center in the secondary region using LRS. The asynchronous replication to the secondary region has a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of typically 15 minutes, meaning data loss is possible only within that window during a regional disaster. In contrast, RA-GZRS adds read access to the secondary region, which is not required here, making GZRS the more cost-effective choice.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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 — D (GZRS) is correct because it combines zone-redundant storage (ZRS) within the primary region to survive a single zone failure with geo-redundancy (GRS) to replicate data asynchronously to a secondary region, ensuring availability if the primary region becomes unavailable. Since the team does not need a read-only endpoint in the secondary region during normal operations, GZRS (which does not provide read access to the secondary region unless a failover occurs) meets the requirement without the extra cost or feature of RA-GZRS.
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
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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