AZ-204 Develop for Azure storage Practice Question
You are designing a solution that uses Azure File Shares. The application requires low-latency access to files from multiple Azure virtual machines in the same region. The files are accessed frequently and must support SMB protocol. Which storage account type and tier should you recommend?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse the transaction-optimized tier with performance optimization, but it only optimizes for cost per transaction, not latency, while BlobStorage is mistakenly thought to support SMB via NFS or other protocols, which it does not natively.
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
✓
FileStorage (premium file shares).
Azure premium file shares (FileStorage) provide low-latency, high-performance access using the SMB protocol, which is required for frequently accessed files from multiple VMs in the same region. Standard tiers (cool or transaction-optimized) do not meet the low-latency requirement, and BlobStorage does not support SMB protocol natively.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Standard general-purpose v2 with cool tier.
Why it's wrong here
The cool tier within a Standard general-purpose v2 storage account is optimized for infrequently accessed data that is stored for at least 30 days. While it offers lower storage costs, it incurs higher access costs and significantly higher latency compared to hot or premium tiers. This makes it unsuitable for typical Azure File Share use cases that often require consistent, low-latency access for applications or users, as the performance characteristics would lead to poor user experience and application slowdowns.
- ✗
Standard general-purpose v2 with transaction-optimized tier.
Why it's wrong here
The transaction-optimized tier in a Standard general-purpose v2 storage account is designed for workloads with high transaction rates but does not guarantee the extremely low latency and high IOPS characteristic of premium storage. Although it offers better performance than hot or cool tiers for transaction-heavy scenarios, it still utilizes standard HDDs or lower-tier SSDs, which may not meet the stringent performance requirements of demanding file share workloads. For applications requiring consistent sub-millisecond latency and high throughput, this tier would likely fall short.
- ✗
BlobStorage with hot tier.
Why it's wrong here
BlobStorage is an object storage solution designed for unstructured data, not a file share service. It exposes data via REST APIs, not through SMB or NFS protocols required for traditional file shares. Therefore, regardless of the chosen tier (hot, cool, or archive), BlobStorage cannot be mounted as a file share by operating systems or applications. This option represents a fundamental architectural incompatibility for any solution requiring Azure File Shares.
- ✓
FileStorage (premium file shares).
Why this is correct
FileStorage accounts are specifically designed to host premium Azure file shares, which are backed by solid-state drives (SSDs). This dedicated storage account type provides consistently low latency and high performance, making it ideal for demanding enterprise workloads that require high IOPS and throughput. Premium file shares allow for provisioning a specific amount of storage, which directly correlates to guaranteed IOPS and throughput, ensuring predictable performance for critical applications.
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