- A
Shared access key authentication
Why wrong: Shared keys grant broad access to the account and are not limited to a single container.
- B
Account SAS
Why wrong: Account SAS is broader than necessary and still depends on the storage account key.
- C
User delegation SAS
User delegation SAS is generated by an identity authenticated with Microsoft Entra ID and does not require exposing the storage account key. It can be scoped tightly to the container, granted for a fixed time window, and limited to write operations. That makes it the best fit for temporary partner access.
- D
Service endpoint access with network rules only
Why wrong: Network rules control where traffic can originate, but they do not grant the partner time-limited write permissions.
Question 871 of 1,170
AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question
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 deployment pipeline uploads content to a blob container in Azure Storage. The pipeline authenticates with Microsoft Entra ID and must grant a partner temporary write access for 12 hours without sharing the storage account key. The access should be limited to the container only. Which access method should the administrator use?
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
✓
User delegation SAS
A user delegation SAS is the correct choice because it uses Microsoft Entra ID credentials to sign the SAS token, providing temporary, delegated access to a specific container without exposing the storage account key. It supports granular permissions and an expiration time of up to 12 hours, meeting the partner's write access requirement while limiting access to the container only.
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.
- ✗
Shared access key authentication
Why it's wrong here
Shared keys grant broad access to the account and are not limited to a single container.
When this WOULD be correct
A scenario where the administrator needs to grant full access to the entire storage account (e.g., for bulk data migration) and trusts the partner with the account key, without requiring temporary or container-scoped access.
- ✗
Account SAS
Why it's wrong here
Account SAS is broader than necessary and still depends on the storage account key.
When this WOULD be correct
A question requiring access to multiple containers or services (e.g., blobs and queues) within a storage account for a limited time, where sharing the account key is acceptable and Entra ID delegation is not required.
- ✓
User delegation SAS
Why this is correct
User delegation SAS is generated by an identity authenticated with Microsoft Entra ID and does not require exposing the storage account key. It can be scoped tightly to the container, granted for a fixed time window, and limited to write operations. That makes it the best fit for temporary partner access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Service endpoint access with network rules only
Why it's wrong here
Network rules control where traffic can originate, but they do not grant the partner time-limited write permissions.
When this WOULD be correct
An organization needs to allow access to a storage account only from a specific virtual network (e.g., from an Azure VM) and deny all other traffic, without requiring any SAS or key. The question would specify that the access is for internal resources within a trusted network and does not involve external partners or temporary permissions.
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.
✓User delegation SASCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
User delegation SAS is generated by an identity authenticated with Microsoft Entra ID and does not require exposing the storage account key. It can be scoped tightly to the container, granted for a fixed time window, and limited to write operations. That makes it the best fit for temporary partner access.
✗Shared access key authenticationWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Shared access key authentication grants full access to the entire storage account, not limited to a single container, and exposes the account key, violating the requirement to avoid sharing the key.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A scenario where the administrator needs to grant full access to the entire storage account (e.g., for bulk data migration) and trusts the partner with the account key, without requiring temporary or container-scoped access.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think shared access keys are the simplest method for granting access, overlooking the security and scope limitations specified in the question.
✗Account SASWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
An Account SAS grants access to multiple services or the entire storage account, not limited to a single container, and does not support delegation via Microsoft Entra ID for temporary write access without sharing the account key.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question requiring access to multiple containers or services (e.g., blobs and queues) within a storage account for a limited time, where sharing the account key is acceptable and Entra ID delegation is not required.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse Account SAS with User Delegation SAS, thinking both provide container-level access, but Account SAS lacks the fine-grained scope and Entra ID integration needed for this scenario.
✗Service endpoint access with network rules onlyWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Service endpoint access with network rules only restricts traffic to a virtual network but does not provide temporary, time-limited write access to a specific container for an external partner. It lacks the granular delegation and expiration control needed for this scenario.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
An organization needs to allow access to a storage account only from a specific virtual network (e.g., from an Azure VM) and deny all other traffic, without requiring any SAS or key. The question would specify that the access is for internal resources within a trusted network and does not involve external partners or temporary permissions.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse network-level security with access delegation, thinking that restricting to a service endpoint provides sufficient control, or they may overlook the requirement for temporary, container-specific write access for an external partner.
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 Account SAS with user delegation SAS, not realizing that Account SAS is signed with the storage account key and thus fails the 'no key sharing' requirement, while user delegation SAS uses Microsoft Entra ID for secure, keyless delegation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A user delegation SAS is signed with a user delegation key obtained from Microsoft Entra ID via the OAuth 2.0 token exchange, allowing the SAS to be scoped to a specific container with permissions like write and a maximum expiry of 7 days (12 hours is within this limit). Under the hood, the SAS token includes the signed identifier for the user delegation key, ensuring the access is tied to the authenticated identity, not the storage account key. In real-world scenarios, this is ideal for granting partners temporary access to upload files to a specific container while maintaining full auditability through Entra ID logs.
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: User delegation SAS — A user delegation SAS is the correct choice because it uses Microsoft Entra ID credentials to sign the SAS token, providing temporary, delegated access to a specific container without exposing the storage account key. It supports granular permissions and an expiration time of up to 12 hours, meeting the partner's write access requirement while limiting access to the container only.
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.
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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