You have an Azure Function app that needs to retrieve a secret from Azure Key Vault at runtime. You want to avoid storing any credentials in code or configuration. Which mechanism should you use?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
Distractor review
Service principal with client secret
Incorrect. This requires storing the client secret in the application configuration, defeating the purpose.
Best answer
Managed identity
Correct. Managed identity allows the Function app to authenticate to Azure Key Vault without any stored credentials.
Distractor review
Access key
Incorrect. Access keys are used for Azure Storage, not for Key Vault authentication, and would need to be stored.
Distractor review
Shared access signature (SAS)
Incorrect. SAS tokens are used for delegated access to storage resources, not for authenticating to Key Vault.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Related practice questions
Related AZ-204 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-204 question test?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Managed identity — Managed Identity provides an automatically managed identity in Microsoft Entra ID for the Azure resource. You can assign a system-assigned managed identity to the Function app, grant it access to Key Vault via access policies, and then retrieve secrets without storing any credentials. Other options require storing secrets or keys: a service principal with client secret needs the secret stored; access keys and SAS tokens must be stored in configuration.
What should I do if I get this AZ-204 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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