Question 281 of 1,170
Implement and Manage StoragemediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

SAS with Stored Access Policy for Revocable 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 contractor needs temporary access to upload and download files in only one blob container for 8 hours. You do not want to share the storage account key, and you want to revoke access later without affecting other containers. What should you create?

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

A container-level SAS token backed by a stored access policy, so you can limit and revoke access.

A container-level SAS token backed by a stored access policy is the correct solution because it allows you to grant temporary, scoped access to a single blob container without exposing the storage account key. The stored access policy enables you to revoke the SAS token at any time by modifying or deleting the policy, which immediately invalidates all tokens associated with it, without affecting other containers.

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.

  • A storage account access key, because it can be limited to one container by policy.

    Why it's wrong here

    An account key grants broad access to the storage account and cannot be scoped safely to a single container in the way the scenario requires.

    When this WOULD be correct

    If the requirement were to grant full administrative access to the entire storage account (e.g., for a storage administrator) and you need to rotate keys periodically, creating a storage account access key would be appropriate.

  • A container-level SAS token backed by a stored access policy, so you can limit and revoke access.

    Why this is correct

    A container-level SAS with a stored access policy is ideal for temporary access to one container. It avoids sharing the account key, limits permissions and lifetime to exactly what is needed, and gives you a revocation point through the stored access policy. That combination is safer than broad key-based access and more operationally flexible than changing account-wide settings.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • Anonymous public access on the container, because it is the easiest way to time-limit access.

    Why it's wrong here

    Anonymous public access does not provide controlled temporary access and cannot be limited or revoked as precisely as a SAS with a stored access policy.

    When this WOULD be correct

    If the requirement is to allow public read access to a container for hosting static website content without authentication, and no time limit or revocation is needed, anonymous public access would be correct.

  • Azure RBAC on the storage account only, because RBAC automatically expires after a few hours.

    Why it's wrong here

    RBAC assignments do not automatically expire after a few hours unless managed through separate governance processes. RBAC is useful for authenticated users and apps, but not for a short-lived external access token.

    When this WOULD be correct

    A question where a user needs long-term, role-based access to manage multiple storage resources (e.g., blobs, queues, tables) across the entire storage account, and the organization uses Azure AD for identity management. For example: 'A team needs read/write access to all blob containers and queues in a storage account for ongoing operations. What should you assign?'

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.

A container-level SAS token backed by a stored access policy, so you can limit and revoke access.Correct answer

Why this is correct

A container-level SAS with a stored access policy is ideal for temporary access to one container. It avoids sharing the account key, limits permissions and lifetime to exactly what is needed, and gives you a revocation point through the stored access policy. That combination is safer than broad key-based access and more operationally flexible than changing account-wide settings.

A storage account access key, because it can be limited to one container by policy.Wrong answer — click to see why

Why this is wrong here

A storage account access key grants full access to all containers in the storage account, not just one container. It cannot be scoped to a single container, and revoking it would affect all containers.

★ When this WOULD be the correct answer

If the requirement were to grant full administrative access to the entire storage account (e.g., for a storage administrator) and you need to rotate keys periodically, creating a storage account access key would be appropriate.

Why candidates choose this

Candidates may think that access keys can be restricted via policies or that they are the only way to provide temporary access, overlooking the container-level SAS with stored access policy.

Anonymous public access on the container, because it is the easiest way to time-limit access.Wrong answer — click to see why

Why this is wrong here

Anonymous public access cannot be time-limited and would allow anyone to access the container without authentication, violating the requirement to revoke access after 8 hours.

★ When this WOULD be the correct answer

If the requirement is to allow public read access to a container for hosting static website content without authentication, and no time limit or revocation is needed, anonymous public access would be correct.

Why candidates choose this

Candidates may think anonymous access can be easily enabled and disabled, but they overlook that it cannot be scoped to a specific time period and exposes the container to the public.

Azure RBAC on the storage account only, because RBAC automatically expires after a few hours.Wrong answer — click to see why

Why this is wrong here

Azure RBAC on the storage account does not automatically expire after a few hours; it requires manual removal. It also cannot be scoped to a single container without additional configuration, and it does not provide the temporary, revocable access needed for this scenario.

★ When this WOULD be the correct answer

A question where a user needs long-term, role-based access to manage multiple storage resources (e.g., blobs, queues, tables) across the entire storage account, and the organization uses Azure AD for identity management. For example: 'A team needs read/write access to all blob containers and queues in a storage account for ongoing operations. What should you assign?'

Why candidates choose this

Candidates may think RBAC is a modern, secure alternative to keys and assume it can be time-limited, or they may confuse RBAC with temporary access mechanisms like just-in-time access.

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 a container-level SAS with a stored access policy, thinking a SAS alone provides revocability, but without a stored access policy, a SAS token cannot be revoked before its expiry time.

Trap categories for this question

  • Scenario analysis trap

    An account key grants broad access to the storage account and cannot be scoped safely to a single container in the way the scenario requires.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

A stored access policy is defined on a container via the Set Container ACL REST API, specifying permissions and expiry. When you generate a SAS token referencing that policy, the SAS inherits the policy's constraints; revoking the policy (by deleting or modifying it) immediately invalidates all SAS tokens tied to it, even if the tokens themselves have not expired. This is critical for scenarios like contractor access where you need to ensure access can be terminated at any moment without waiting for token expiry.

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.

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: A container-level SAS token backed by a stored access policy, so you can limit and revoke access. — A container-level SAS token backed by a stored access policy is the correct solution because it allows you to grant temporary, scoped access to a single blob container without exposing the storage account key. The stored access policy enables you to revoke the SAS token at any time by modifying or deleting the policy, which immediately invalidates all tokens associated with it, without affecting other containers.

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.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026

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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.