- A
LRS, because it keeps copies only within one datacenter and does not provide zone or geo protection.
Why wrong: LRS protects against local hardware failures, but all copies stay in one datacenter and one region.
- B
ZRS, because it replicates across zones in one region but does not add secondary-region replication.
Why wrong: ZRS helps with a zone outage, but by itself it does not provide replication to another region.
- C
GZRS, because it combines zone redundancy in the primary region with geo-replication to a secondary region.
GZRS is designed for both requirements: zone resilience in the primary region and geo-replication for regional recovery.
- D
RA-GZRS, because it provides the same protection as GZRS and also allows read access to the secondary region.
RA-GZRS adds read access to the secondary region, while still keeping the zone-redundant primary configuration.
- E
RA-GRS, because it allows reading from the secondary region but does not use zone-redundant storage in the primary region.
Why wrong: RA-GRS gives read access to the secondary region, but it does not provide zone redundancy in the primary region.
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 finance team stores documents in Azure Storage. The account must survive a failure of one availability zone in the primary region and also remain available if the primary region becomes unavailable. Which two replication options meet this requirement? Select two.
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
GZRS, because it combines zone redundancy in the primary region with geo-replication to a secondary region.
Option C (GZRS) is correct because it provides both zone-redundant storage (ZRS) within the primary region, ensuring survival of an availability zone failure, and geo-replication (GRS) to a secondary region, ensuring availability if the entire primary region becomes unavailable. This meets both requirements of the question.
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, because it keeps copies only within one datacenter and does not provide zone or geo protection.
Why it's wrong here
LRS protects against local hardware failures, but all copies stay in one datacenter and one region.
When this WOULD be correct
If the requirement is only to protect against local hardware failures within a single datacenter, with no need for zone or regional redundancy, LRS would be the correct choice.
- ✗
ZRS, because it replicates across zones in one region but does not add secondary-region replication.
Why it's wrong here
ZRS helps with a zone outage, but by itself it does not provide replication to another region.
When this WOULD be correct
A question that asks: 'Which replication option provides the highest durability within a single region and survives an availability zone failure, without requiring geo-redundancy?' would make ZRS the correct answer.
- ✓
GZRS, because it combines zone redundancy in the primary region with geo-replication to a secondary region.
Why this is correct
GZRS is designed for both requirements: zone resilience in the primary region and geo-replication for regional recovery.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
RA-GZRS, because it provides the same protection as GZRS and also allows read access to the secondary region.
Why this is correct
RA-GZRS adds read access to the secondary region, while still keeping the zone-redundant primary configuration.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
RA-GRS, because it allows reading from the secondary region but does not use zone-redundant storage in the primary region.
Why it's wrong here
RA-GRS gives read access to the secondary region, but it does not provide zone redundancy in the primary region.
When this WOULD be correct
If the requirement is to have read access to the secondary region and the primary region does not need zone-level redundancy (e.g., a non-critical app that can tolerate a zone failure), RA-GRS would be correct.
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.
✓GZRS, because it combines zone redundancy in the primary region with geo-replication to a secondary region.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
GZRS is designed for both requirements: zone resilience in the primary region and geo-replication for regional recovery.
✗LRS, because it keeps copies only within one datacenter and does not provide zone or geo protection.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
LRS replicates data only within a single datacenter, so it cannot survive a failure of one availability zone in the primary region, nor does it provide geo-replication for regional failure.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the requirement is only to protect against local hardware failures within a single datacenter, with no need for zone or regional redundancy, LRS would be the correct choice.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think LRS is sufficient because it is the cheapest option, overlooking the specific requirement for zone and regional resilience.
✗ZRS, because it replicates across zones in one region but does not add secondary-region replication.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
ZRS replicates data synchronously across three availability zones in a single region, so it survives a zone failure but not a regional outage. The question requires both zone failure tolerance and regional unavailability protection, which ZRS does not provide.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question that asks: 'Which replication option provides the highest durability within a single region and survives an availability zone failure, without requiring geo-redundancy?' would make ZRS the correct answer.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse 'zone redundancy' with 'geo-redundancy' or overlook that the question explicitly requires the account to remain available if the primary region becomes unavailable, which ZRS cannot satisfy.
✗RA-GRS, because it allows reading from the secondary region but does not use zone-redundant storage in the primary region.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
RA-GRS replicates to a secondary region but uses LRS in the primary region, not ZRS, so it does not survive a zone failure in the primary region.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the requirement is to have read access to the secondary region and the primary region does not need zone-level redundancy (e.g., a non-critical app that can tolerate a zone failure), RA-GRS would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates see 'read-access' and 'geo-replication' and assume it meets both zone and geo requirements, overlooking that RA-GRS lacks zone redundancy in the primary region.
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 overlook the requirement to survive a zone failure and focus only on regional disaster recovery, leading them to pick RA-GRS (which lacks zone redundancy) or ZRS (which lacks geo-replication).
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
GZRS (Geo-Zone-Redundant Storage) combines ZRS in the primary region with synchronous replication across three availability zones, plus asynchronous geo-replication to a secondary region (LRS-based). RA-GZRS adds the ability to read from the secondary region at any time, even before a failover, which is useful for read-heavy workloads or compliance scenarios. Both options meet the stated requirements, with RA-GZRS offering additional read access.
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: GZRS, because it combines zone redundancy in the primary region with geo-replication to a secondary region. — Option C (GZRS) is correct because it provides both zone-redundant storage (ZRS) within the primary region, ensuring survival of an availability zone failure, and geo-replication (GRS) to a secondary region, ensuring availability if the entire primary region becomes unavailable. This meets both requirements of the question.
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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