This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage storage. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
Your application stores compliance records in Azure Blob Storage. The records must remain in a write-once-read-many state for three years and must not be altered or deleted during that period. What should you configure?
Blob soft delete
Why wrong: Soft delete aids recovery but does not enforce WORM retention.
Immutable blob storage with a time-based retention policy
This enforces write-once-read-many protection for the specified period.
Lifecycle management to move data to Archive
Why wrong: Lifecycle rules optimize cost and placement, not immutability.
A shared access signature
Why wrong: A SAS delegates access and does not enforce retention.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Immutable blob storage with a time-based retention policy
Immutable blob storage with a time-based retention policy enforces a WORM (Write-Once, Read-Many) state, preventing any modification or deletion of blobs for a specified retention period. This meets the requirement of keeping compliance records unaltered for three years, as the policy locks the data at the storage level, overriding any user permissions or delete operations.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Blob soft delete
Why it's wrong here
Soft delete aids recovery but does not enforce WORM retention.
Immutable blob storage with a time-based retention policy
Why this is correct
This enforces write-once-read-many protection for the specified period.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Lifecycle management to move data to Archive
Why it's wrong here
Lifecycle rules optimize cost and placement, not immutability.
A shared access signature
Why it's wrong here
A SAS delegates access and does not enforce retention.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse soft delete (which only recovers deleted blobs) with immutability, or think lifecycle management or SAS can enforce retention, but neither prevents modification or deletion during the required period.
Detailed technical explanation
Immutable blob storage uses a legal hold or time-based retention policy that is enforced at the storage account level, with the retention period measured from the time the policy is applied or the blob is created. Under the hood, Azure Blob Storage checks the immutability policy before any write or delete operation, and if the blob is within the retention window, the operation is rejected with a 409 (Conflict) error. In real-world scenarios, this is critical for regulatory compliance (e.g., SEC Rule 17a-4, FINRA) where records must be preserved in their original state for audit purposes.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Implement and Manage Storage — This question tests Implement and Manage Storage — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Immutable blob storage with a time-based retention policy — Immutable blob storage with a time-based retention policy enforces a WORM (Write-Once, Read-Many) state, preventing any modification or deletion of blobs for a specified retention period. This meets the requirement of keeping compliance records unaltered for three years, as the policy locks the data at the storage level, overriding any user permissions or delete operations.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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