- A
Provide the storage account access key to the client
Why wrong: Sharing the account key gives full access to the account and is not time-limited, which is insecure.
- B
Generate a shared access signature (SAS) URI with read permission and expiry of one hour
A SAS token provides secure, delegated access with controlled permissions and expiry, perfect for this scenario.
- C
Use Azure RBAC to grant the client the Storage Blob Data Reader role for one hour
Why wrong: RBAC role assignments are persistent and not designed for temporary, delegated access; SAS is the correct tool.
- D
Make the blob publicly accessible for one hour using a stored access policy
Why wrong: Public access allows anonymous access to everyone, which is less secure; SAS can be scoped to a specific client.
Quick Answer
The correct approach is to generate a shared access signature (SAS) URI with read permission and an expiry of one hour. This works because a SAS token provides delegated, time-limited access to a specific blob resource without ever exposing your storage account key; the token is signed with the account key but does not reveal it, ensuring secure, temporary blob read access. On the AZ-204 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of delegated access versus full key exposure—a common trap is choosing to share the account key or a storage access policy without an expiry, which violates the requirement to keep the key secret. Remember the mnemonic “SAS = Secure, Account-free, Short-lived” to recall that SAS tokens grant granular permissions for a defined window without compromising your master key.
AZ-204 Develop for Azure storage Practice Question
This AZ-204 practice question tests your understanding of develop for azure 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.
You need to allow a client application to read a specific blob from Azure Blob Storage for one hour, without exposing your storage account key. Which approach should you 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
Generate a shared access signature (SAS) URI with read permission and expiry of one hour
Option B is correct because a shared access signature (SAS) URI allows you to delegate limited access (read permission) to a specific blob for a defined time period (one hour) without exposing your storage account key. The SAS token is generated using the account key but does not reveal it, ensuring secure, time-bound access.
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.
- ✗
Provide the storage account access key to the client
Why it's wrong here
Sharing the account key gives full access to the account and is not time-limited, which is insecure.
- ✓
Generate a shared access signature (SAS) URI with read permission and expiry of one hour
Why this is correct
A SAS token provides secure, delegated access with controlled permissions and expiry, perfect for this scenario.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Azure RBAC to grant the client the Storage Blob Data Reader role for one hour
Why it's wrong here
RBAC role assignments are persistent and not designed for temporary, delegated access; SAS is the correct tool.
- ✗
Make the blob publicly accessible for one hour using a stored access policy
Why it's wrong here
Public access allows anonymous access to everyone, which is less secure; SAS can be scoped to a specific client.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse RBAC with SAS, thinking RBAC can be used for temporary access, but RBAC does not support built-in expiry and requires manual revocation, whereas SAS provides precise time-bound delegation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A SAS URI is constructed by appending a token containing the signed permissions, start/expiry times, and a signature (HMAC-SHA256) computed from the storage account key. The client uses the SAS URI directly via HTTPS; the storage service validates the token's signature and expiry before granting access. In real-world scenarios, SAS tokens are often generated server-side (e.g., via Azure SDK or REST API) and handed to clients for secure, time-limited operations like uploading or downloading blobs without exposing the account key.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Develop for Azure storage — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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Targeted practice on this topic area only
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-204 question test?
Develop for Azure storage — This question tests Develop for Azure storage — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Generate a shared access signature (SAS) URI with read permission and expiry of one hour — Option B is correct because a shared access signature (SAS) URI allows you to delegate limited access (read permission) to a specific blob for a defined time period (one hour) without exposing your storage account key. The SAS token is generated using the account key but does not reveal it, ensuring secure, time-bound access.
What should I do if I get this AZ-204 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
This AZ-204 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-204 exam.
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