The answer is to enable a system-assigned managed identity on the App Service and assign the Storage Blob Data Reader role on the blob container. This works because managed identity provides an automatically managed Azure AD identity for the web app, allowing it to authenticate to Azure Blob Storage without storing any keys or secrets in configuration. By granting the Storage Blob Data Reader role via Azure RBAC, the app uses Azure AD tokens for access, ensuring only authenticated users behind the App Service’s built-in authentication can retrieve blobs over HTTPS. On the AZ-204 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of identity-based access versus key-based access—a common trap is choosing SAS tokens or connection strings, which still require storing credentials. The core concept is that managed identity eliminates credential management for Azure-to-Azure services. Memory tip: think “MI for SI” — Managed Identity for Secure Identity, avoiding keys entirely.
AZ-204 Develop for Azure storage Practice Question
This AZ-204 practice question tests your understanding of develop for azure 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.
You have an application that stores user profile pictures in Azure Blob Storage. Users upload images via a web app. You need to ensure that the images are served securely over HTTPS and that only authenticated users can access them. The web app uses Azure App Service with built-in authentication. You want to avoid storing any access keys in the web app's configuration. What should you do to grant the web app access to the blobs?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable system-assigned managed identity on the App Service and assign the 'Storage Blob Data Reader' role on the blob container.
Option B is correct because enabling a system-assigned managed identity on the App Service allows it to authenticate to Azure Storage without storing any credentials. By assigning the 'Storage Blob Data Reader' role on the blob container, the web app can securely access blobs using Azure AD authentication, which is the recommended approach for server-side access. This avoids storing access keys or SAS tokens in configuration, meeting the security requirement.
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.
✗
Store the storage account access key in the web app's configuration.
Why it's wrong here
Access keys should not be stored in configuration.
✓
Enable system-assigned managed identity on the App Service and assign the 'Storage Blob Data Reader' role on the blob container.
Why this is correct
Managed identity provides secure, keyless access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable anonymous public read access on the blob container.
Why it's wrong here
Public access defeats authentication requirement.
✗
Generate a SAS token with long expiration and store it in the web app's configuration.
Why it's wrong here
SAS tokens still need to be managed and can be compromised.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think a SAS token or access key is necessary for programmatic access, but Azure AD authentication via managed identity is the secure, keyless method that satisfies the 'no stored keys' requirement while still enforcing authentication.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, managed identity uses Azure Instance Metadata Service (IMDS) to obtain an access token for the storage resource (https://storage.azure.com). The App Service runtime automatically handles token acquisition and renewal, and the token is used in the Authorization header of requests to Blob Storage. This approach leverages Azure RBAC, where the 'Storage Blob Data Reader' role grants read access at the container or storage account level, and supports fine-grained access control without shared secrets.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-204 question in full detail.
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: Enable system-assigned managed identity on the App Service and assign the 'Storage Blob Data Reader' role on the blob container. — Option B is correct because enabling a system-assigned managed identity on the App Service allows it to authenticate to Azure Storage without storing any credentials. By assigning the 'Storage Blob Data Reader' role on the blob container, the web app can securely access blobs using Azure AD authentication, which is the recommended approach for server-side access. This avoids storing access keys or SAS tokens in configuration, meeting the security requirement.
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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Question Discussion
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