- A
ZRS, because it protects against a single zone failure in one region.
Why wrong: ZRS provides zone-level resilience, but it does not replicate to a paired region for disaster recovery.
- B
GRS, because it keeps a geo-replicated copy but does not provide zone redundancy in the primary region.
Why wrong: GRS replicates to a secondary region, but it does not add zone redundancy within the primary region.
- C
GZRS, because it combines zone redundancy with geo-replication and supports failover recovery.
Why wrong: GZRS combines zone redundancy and geo-replication, but the secondary region is not readable before failover.
- D
RA-GZRS, because it combines zone redundancy, geo-replication, and read access to the secondary region.
RA-GZRS is the only option listed that satisfies both requirements simultaneously. It protects against a zone failure in the primary region through zone-redundant storage and also keeps a geo-replicated secondary copy in another region. The read-access feature lets administrators or applications read from the secondary endpoint during a regional outage or while validating recovery, which is exactly what the scenario requires.
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 compliance team stores signed contract scans in Azure Blob Storage. The data must remain available if one zone in the primary region fails. If the entire primary region is unavailable, the team also needs to read the secondary copy while recovery work is underway. Which redundancy option should you choose for the storage account?
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
RA-GZRS, because it combines zone redundancy, geo-replication, and read access to the secondary region.
RA-GZRS (Read-Access Geo-Zone-Redundant Storage) is the correct choice because it provides synchronous zone-level redundancy within the primary region (protecting against a single zone failure) and asynchronous geo-replication to a secondary region. Additionally, it enables read access to the secondary region at all times, allowing the compliance team to read the secondary copy immediately if the primary region becomes unavailable, without waiting for a failover.
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.
- ✗
ZRS, because it protects against a single zone failure in one region.
Why it's wrong here
ZRS provides zone-level resilience, but it does not replicate to a paired region for disaster recovery.
When this WOULD be correct
A question where the requirement is only to protect against a zone failure within a single region, with no need for geo-replication or read access to a secondary region, such as a high-availability application within one Azure region.
- ✗
GRS, because it keeps a geo-replicated copy but does not provide zone redundancy in the primary region.
Why it's wrong here
GRS replicates to a secondary region, but it does not add zone redundancy within the primary region.
When this WOULD be correct
A scenario where the requirement is only to protect against a region-level disaster and read access to the secondary region is not needed. For example: 'You need to ensure data is durable across regions but can tolerate downtime during failover.'
- ✗
GZRS, because it combines zone redundancy with geo-replication and supports failover recovery.
Why it's wrong here
GZRS combines zone redundancy and geo-replication, but the secondary region is not readable before failover.
When this WOULD be correct
A scenario where the requirement is to protect against a zone failure in the primary region and have a geo-replicated copy for disaster recovery, but read access to the secondary region is not needed until a failover is performed. For example, an organization that only needs to fail over to the secondary region during a regional disaster and does not require immediate read access during recovery.
- ✓
RA-GZRS, because it combines zone redundancy, geo-replication, and read access to the secondary region.
Why this is correct
RA-GZRS is the only option listed that satisfies both requirements simultaneously. It protects against a zone failure in the primary region through zone-redundant storage and also keeps a geo-replicated secondary copy in another region. The read-access feature lets administrators or applications read from the secondary endpoint during a regional outage or while validating recovery, which is exactly what the scenario requires.
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.
✓RA-GZRS, because it combines zone redundancy, geo-replication, and read access to the secondary region.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
RA-GZRS is the only option listed that satisfies both requirements simultaneously. It protects against a zone failure in the primary region through zone-redundant storage and also keeps a geo-replicated secondary copy in another region. The read-access feature lets administrators or applications read from the secondary endpoint during a regional outage or while validating recovery, which is exactly what the scenario requires.
✗ZRS, because it protects against a single zone failure in one region.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
ZRS only protects against a single zone failure in the primary region, but does not provide a secondary copy for recovery if the entire primary region fails, which is required by the compliance team.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question where the requirement is only to protect against a zone failure within a single region, with no need for geo-replication or read access to a secondary region, such as a high-availability application within one Azure region.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may choose ZRS because it offers zone redundancy, but they overlook the additional requirement for geo-redundancy and read access to the secondary region during a regional outage.
✗GRS, because it keeps a geo-replicated copy but does not provide zone redundancy in the primary region.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
GRS does not provide zone redundancy in the primary region, so if a zone fails, data may become unavailable until failover is initiated. The question requires availability during a zone failure, which GRS cannot guarantee.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A scenario where the requirement is only to protect against a region-level disaster and read access to the secondary region is not needed. For example: 'You need to ensure data is durable across regions but can tolerate downtime during failover.'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think GRS is sufficient because it provides geo-redundancy, overlooking the need for zone-level availability in the primary region as specified in the question.
✗GZRS, because it combines zone redundancy with geo-replication and supports failover recovery.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
GZRS provides zone redundancy and geo-replication but does not allow read access to the secondary region unless a failover is initiated. The question requires the ability to read the secondary copy while recovery is underway, which necessitates read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GZRS).
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A scenario where the requirement is to protect against a zone failure in the primary region and have a geo-replicated copy for disaster recovery, but read access to the secondary region is not needed until a failover is performed. For example, an organization that only needs to fail over to the secondary region during a regional disaster and does not require immediate read access during recovery.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may see 'zone redundancy' and 'geo-replication' in GZRS and assume it meets all requirements, overlooking the specific need for read access to the secondary region without failover.
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, overlooking that GZRS does not provide read access to the secondary region unless a failover is performed, while the question explicitly requires the ability to read the secondary copy immediately during primary region unavailability.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
RA-GZRS uses synchronous replication across three availability zones in the primary region for durability and then asynchronously replicates data to a secondary region (paired region) using geo-redundant storage. The read-access feature is enabled by setting the account's 'Allow read access to secondary data' property to true, which exposes a separate read-only endpoint (e.g., `-secondary.blob.core.windows.net`) that can be used for reads even when the primary region is healthy, ensuring continuous availability for compliance audits.
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.
Quick reference
Azure Blob Storage Tier Comparison
| Tier | Storage Cost | Retrieval Cost | Latency | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot | Highest | Lowest | Immediate | Active data, frequent reads |
| Cool | Lower | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / month |
| Cold | Lower still | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / quarter |
| Archive | Lowest | Highest + rehydration delay | Hours | Long-term compliance retention |
What to study next
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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: RA-GZRS, because it combines zone redundancy, geo-replication, and read access to the secondary region. — RA-GZRS (Read-Access Geo-Zone-Redundant Storage) is the correct choice because it provides synchronous zone-level redundancy within the primary region (protecting against a single zone failure) and asynchronous geo-replication to a secondary region. Additionally, it enables read access to the secondary region at all times, allowing the compliance team to read the secondary copy immediately if the primary region becomes unavailable, without waiting for a failover.
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
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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