RA-GRS: The Redundancy Option for Readable Secondary Copies
A records team wants blobs to be replicated to a secondary region, and the secondary copy must be readable if the primary region becomes unavailable. Which redundancy option should you choose?
Quick Answer
Read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS) is the correct choice because it combines geo-redundant storage (GRS) with the ability to read from the secondary region at any time, even when the primary region is fully operational. This meets the requirement for a readable secondary copy during a primary outage, as RA-GRS asynchronously replicates blobs to a paired secondary region and exposes a separate read-only endpoint. On the AZ-104 exam, this question tests your understanding of Azure storage redundancy options for readable secondary region scenarios, often contrasting RA-GRS with standard GRS, which only allows failover reads. A common trap is choosing GRS alone, forgetting that read access is not enabled by default. Remember the mnemonic: "RA-GRS lets you Read Always from the Geo-Redundant Secondary."
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse GRS with RA-GRS, assuming that geo-redundant replication automatically provides readable secondary copies, but GRS does not allow read access to the secondary region until a failover occurs, whereas RA-GRS explicitly enables read access at all times.
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
✓
Read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS)
RA-GRS (Read-access geo-redundant storage) is correct because it provides geo-redundant replication (GRS) to a secondary region, plus read access to the secondary copy even if the primary region is unavailable. This ensures the blob data is replicated asynchronously to a paired secondary region, and the secondary endpoint can be read immediately during a primary outage, meeting the team's requirement for readable secondary copies.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Locally redundant storage (LRS)
Why it's wrong here
LRS keeps data within one datacenter and does not provide a readable secondary region.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question specifies that cost is the primary concern and the data does not need to be available in case of a regional disaster, LRS would be the correct choice.
- ✗
Zone-redundant storage (ZRS)
Why it's wrong here
ZRS protects against zone failure inside a region, but it does not replicate to another region.
- ✗
Geo-redundant storage (GRS)
Why it's wrong here
GRS replicates to a secondary region, but the secondary region is not readable during normal operations.
- ✓
Read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS)
Why this is correct
RA-GRS replicates data to a secondary region and allows reads from that secondary copy, which fits the requirement exactly.
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.
✓Read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS)Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
RA-GRS replicates data to a secondary region and allows reads from that secondary copy, which fits the requirement exactly.
✗Locally redundant storage (LRS)Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
LRS replicates data only within a single datacenter in the primary region, so it does not provide a readable secondary copy if the primary region becomes unavailable.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question specifies that cost is the primary concern and the data does not need to be available in case of a regional disaster, LRS would be the correct choice.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may choose LRS because it is the cheapest option and they overlook the requirement for readable secondary copy during a regional outage.
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?”
Go deeper
Related to this question
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Key term
Read-access geo-redundant storage
Read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS) is a cloud storage replication option that maintains three synchronous copies in one primary region and three asynchronous copies in a secondary region, while allowing read access to the secondary copy even during normal operations.
Key term
GRS
GRS (Georedundant Storage) is a data replication method that copies your stored data to a secondary region hundreds of miles away to protect against regional disasters.
About these practice questions
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on AZ-104
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. You need to choose a storage redundancy option that provides the lowest cost and protects data against local hardware failure within a single datacenter only. Which redundancy option should you select?
medium- ✓ A.LRS
- B.ZRS
- C.GRS
- D.GZRS
Why A: LRS (Locally Redundant Storage) replicates data three times within a single datacenter (or availability zone) in the same region, protecting against local hardware failures such as disk or server crashes. It is the lowest-cost redundancy option because it does not incur the additional replication costs of cross-zone or cross-region copying. This meets the requirement of protecting data against local hardware failure within a single datacenter only.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.