Service SAS — Container-Level Delegated Access
A storage account for thumbnail metadata must allow an application to read only blobs under one container for two hours. The application should not receive the account key. What should be issued? The design must avoid adding custom operational scripts.
Quick Answer
The answer is a service SAS scoped to the container with read permission and a two-hour expiry. This is correct because a service SAS provides delegated, time-limited access to a specific Azure Storage resource—here, a single container—without exposing the account key, and its granular permissions allow read-only access to blobs within that container. On the AZ-204 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of shared access signatures versus account keys and the importance of scoping permissions to the least privilege; a common trap is choosing an account SAS or a stored access policy unnecessarily, which would either grant broader access or require custom scripts to manage. Remember that for container-level access without the account key, a service SAS is the direct, script-free solution. Memory tip: “Service SAS for single-class access” — think of a service SAS as a limited-time hall pass for just one container’s blobs.
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse a service SAS with a public access level (Option A) because both allow read access, but they fail to recognize that public access is permanent and unrestricted, whereas a SAS provides time-limited, scoped access without exposing the account key.
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
✓
A service SAS scoped to the container with read permission and expiry
A service SAS (Shared Access Signature) scoped to a specific container with read permission and an expiry time of two hours meets the requirement: it grants time-limited read access to blobs under that container without exposing the account key. The SAS token is issued to the application, which can then use it to authenticate requests directly to Azure Blob Storage, avoiding the need for custom scripts.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
A public access level on the container
Why it's wrong here
Public access exposes data to anonymous users.
- ✓
A service SAS scoped to the container with read permission and expiry
Why this is correct
A service SAS can grant limited, time-bound permissions without exposing account keys.
- ✗
A management group assignment
Why it's wrong here
Management groups govern Azure resources but do not provide temporary blob read tokens.
- ✗
The storage account access key
Why it's wrong here
Account keys grant broad access and are not appropriately scoped.
Quick reference
Azure Blob Storage Tier Comparison
| Tier | Storage Cost | Retrieval Cost | Latency | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot | Highest | Lowest | Immediate | Active data, frequent reads |
| Cool | Lower | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / month |
| Cold | Lower still | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / quarter |
| Archive | Lowest | Highest + rehydration delay | Hours | Long-term compliance retention |
Go deeper
Related to this question
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on AZ-204
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A storage account for thumbnail metadata must allow an application to read only blobs under one container for two hours. The application should not receive the account key. What should be issued?
hard- A.A public access level on the container
- ✓ B.A service SAS scoped to the container with read permission and expiry
- C.A management group assignment
- D.The storage account access key
Why B: A service SAS scoped to a container with read permission and an expiry of two hours is the correct approach because it provides delegated, time-limited access to specific blobs under that container without exposing the storage account key. The SAS token is generated using the account key but the application only receives the token, not the key itself, ensuring the key remains secure. This meets the requirement for read-only access to a single container for a limited duration.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.