- A
LRS
Why wrong: LRS keeps multiple copies only within one datacenter or availability domain and does not provide geographic replication.
- B
ZRS
Why wrong: ZRS protects against a single zone failure, but it does not provide a readable secondary region.
- C
GZRS
Why wrong: GZRS adds geo-replication and zone redundancy, but the secondary region is not readable during normal operations.
- D
RA-GZRS
RA-GZRS combines zone redundancy in the primary region with geo-replication and read access to the secondary endpoint.
Question 938 of 1,170
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 company stores contract PDFs in Azure Blob Storage. The application must keep working if one datacenter in the primary region has an outage, and auditors also want read-only access to the replicated data from the secondary region during a regional outage. Which redundancy option should the administrator choose?
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
RA-GZRS (Read-Access Geo-Zone-Redundant Storage) is the correct choice because it combines zone-redundant storage (ZRS) across availability zones in the primary region with geo-replication to a secondary region, and crucially enables read access to the secondary region data during a regional outage. This ensures the application remains available if one datacenter fails (via ZRS) and satisfies the auditors' requirement for read-only access to replicated data during a regional outage (via the read-access flag).
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 multiple copies only within one datacenter or availability domain and does not provide geographic replication.
When this WOULD be correct
A question where cost is the primary constraint and the application can tolerate total data loss if the entire datacenter fails, such as for non-critical temporary data.
- ✗
ZRS
Why it's wrong here
ZRS protects against a single zone failure, but it does not provide a readable secondary region.
When this WOULD be correct
A scenario where the application requires high availability within a single region (e.g., to withstand a zone failure) but does not need cross-region replication or read-access from a secondary region. For example, a company storing non-critical data that must remain available if one datacenter fails, but no need for geo-redundancy.
- ✗
GZRS
Why it's wrong here
GZRS adds geo-replication and zone redundancy, but the secondary region is not readable during normal operations.
When this WOULD be correct
A scenario where the requirement is for geo-redundancy with automatic failover but no need for immediate read access from the secondary region, such as a disaster recovery plan that allows for some downtime during failover.
- ✓
RA-GZRS
Why this is correct
RA-GZRS combines zone redundancy in the primary region with geo-replication and read access to the secondary endpoint.
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-GZRSCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
RA-GZRS combines zone redundancy in the primary region with geo-replication and read access to the secondary endpoint.
✗LRSWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
LRS only replicates data within a single datacenter, so it cannot survive a datacenter outage, nor does it provide read access from a secondary region.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question where cost is the primary constraint and the application can tolerate total data loss if the entire datacenter fails, such as for non-critical temporary data.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may choose LRS because it is the cheapest option, overlooking the requirement for regional disaster recovery and read access during an outage.
✗ZRSWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
ZRS replicates data synchronously across three availability zones within a single region, so it does not provide a secondary region for read access during a regional outage, nor does it offer read access to replicated data in another region.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A scenario where the application requires high availability within a single region (e.g., to withstand a zone failure) but does not need cross-region replication or read-access from a secondary region. For example, a company storing non-critical data that must remain available if one datacenter fails, but no need for geo-redundancy.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse ZRS with GZRS or RA-GZRS, thinking that 'zone-redundant' implies cross-region protection, or they may overlook the requirement for read-only access from a secondary region during an outage.
✗GZRSWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
GZRS replicates data to a secondary region but does not provide read access to the secondary region during an outage; the application would need to wait for failover, violating the auditors' requirement for immediate read-only access.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A scenario where the requirement is for geo-redundancy with automatic failover but no need for immediate read access from the secondary region, such as a disaster recovery plan that allows for some downtime during failover.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse GZRS with RA-GZRS, assuming that geo-replication inherently includes read access, or they may overlook the 'read-access' prefix in the correct option.
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, forgetting that GZRS alone does not grant read access to the secondary region during an outage; the 'RA' prefix is required to enable that read-only access.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
RA-GZRS uses asynchronous geo-replication to copy data from a primary region (with ZRS across three availability zones) to a secondary region, typically hundreds of miles away. The read-access flag allows clients to read from the secondary endpoint (e.g., `*.secondary.blob.core.windows.net`) even when the primary region is healthy, but during a regional outage, this becomes the only available access point. The recovery point objective (RPO) for geo-replication is typically less than 15 minutes, meaning some data loss may occur if the primary region fails before replication completes.
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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 — RA-GZRS (Read-Access Geo-Zone-Redundant Storage) is the correct choice because it combines zone-redundant storage (ZRS) across availability zones in the primary region with geo-replication to a secondary region, and crucially enables read access to the secondary region data during a regional outage. This ensures the application remains available if one datacenter fails (via ZRS) and satisfies the auditors' requirement for read-only access to replicated data during a regional outage (via the read-access flag).
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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