- A
Create a storage account with a shared access signature (SAS) token and mount using the SAS URL
Why wrong: SAS tokens are for temporary access and do not eliminate internet exposure.
- B
Create a storage account with a public endpoint and use a VPN gateway to connect the VMs
Why wrong: VPN gateway adds complexity and cost; private endpoint is simpler and more secure.
- C
Create a storage account with a public endpoint and configure the firewall to allow only the VNet
Why wrong: Firewall rules do not provide private IP connectivity; traffic still traverses the internet.
- D
Create a storage account with a private endpoint and mount the file share using the private IP
Private endpoint provides a private IP in the VNet, ensuring traffic stays within the network.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to create a storage account with a private endpoint and mount the file share using the private IP. This configuration works because a private endpoint places the Azure file share onto your virtual network via a network interface with a private IP address, enabling SMB 3.0 traffic with encryption to flow entirely within Microsoft’s backbone without any internet exposure. On the AZ-204 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to secure legacy workloads that require SMB protocol—a common trap is choosing a service endpoint instead, which still routes traffic over the public endpoint even though it’s restricted to your VNet. Remember that private endpoints give you a true private IP inside your subnet, while service endpoints only provide source-network filtering. A quick memory tip: “Private IP, private path—no internet bath.”
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 are using Azure File Storage to share configuration files across multiple virtual machines running a legacy application. The application requires SMB 3.0 protocol with encryption. You need to ensure the file share is accessible from all VMs without exposing it to the internet. Which configuration 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
Create a storage account with a private endpoint and mount the file share using the private IP
Option D is correct because a private endpoint assigns the storage account a private IP address from your virtual network, allowing VMs to access the file share over SMB 3.0 with encryption without exposing the storage account to the public internet. This meets the requirement for secure, private connectivity while supporting the legacy application's SMB 3.0 protocol needs.
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.
- ✗
Create a storage account with a shared access signature (SAS) token and mount using the SAS URL
Why it's wrong here
SAS tokens are for temporary access and do not eliminate internet exposure.
- ✗
Create a storage account with a public endpoint and use a VPN gateway to connect the VMs
- ✗
Create a storage account with a public endpoint and configure the firewall to allow only the VNet
Why it's wrong here
Firewall rules do not provide private IP connectivity; traffic still traverses the internet.
- ✓
Create a storage account with a private endpoint and mount the file share using the private IP
Why this is correct
Private endpoint provides a private IP in the VNet, ensuring traffic stays within the network.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse network-level access controls (like firewalls or VPNs) with true private connectivity, mistakenly believing that restricting access via firewall rules or VPN gateways eliminates public endpoint exposure, when only a private endpoint achieves that.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Private Endpoint uses a network interface with a private IP from your VNet, leveraging Azure Private Link to route traffic to the storage account over the Microsoft backbone network, bypassing the public internet entirely. For SMB 3.0 with encryption, the file share must be mounted using the private IP or FQDN of the private endpoint, and the storage account's public endpoint should be disabled to ensure no internet exposure. This setup is critical for compliance scenarios where data must never traverse public networks, such as in financial or healthcare applications.
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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Develop for Azure storage practice questions
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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: Create a storage account with a private endpoint and mount the file share using the private IP — Option D is correct because a private endpoint assigns the storage account a private IP address from your virtual network, allowing VMs to access the file share over SMB 3.0 with encryption without exposing the storage account to the public internet. This meets the requirement for secure, private connectivity while supporting the legacy application's SMB 3.0 protocol needs.
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 24, 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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