AZ-305 Design data storage solutions Practice Question
A company is designing a hybrid storage solution to connect on-premises file shares to Azure. They need to cache frequently accessed files locally for low-latency access while storing all files in Azure. The solution must support SMB protocol and integrate with existing Windows file servers. Which Azure service should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse Azure Files (a cloud-only SMB share) with Azure File Sync (which adds local caching and sync capabilities), leading them to select Azure Files without recognizing the requirement for on-premises low-latency access.
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
✓
Azure File Sync
Azure File Sync is the correct choice because it enables caching of frequently accessed files on-premises via a sync agent installed on Windows Server, while all files are stored in Azure Files. This provides low-latency access for local users and supports SMB protocol, seamlessly integrating with existing Windows file servers through a cloud tiering feature that keeps only hot files locally.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Azure Blob Storage with NFS 3.0 support
Why it's wrong here
Azure Blob Storage with NFS 3.0 support provides a POSIX-like file interface for object storage, allowing Linux clients to mount a container over NFS. However, it does not include a sync agent or cloud tiering to maintain a local cached copy on an on-premises server; it is a direct cloud access protocol, not a hybrid synchronization service. Blob storage also lacks the SMB-based file locking and Windows ACL integration that would be needed for a Windows-centric hybrid file share.
- ✗
Azure Files
Why it's wrong here
Azure Files is a fully managed cloud file share that can be accessed via SMB or NFS, but it is inherently a cloud-only service. To achieve local caching and offline access, you must deploy Azure File Sync to synchronize the share to an on-premises Windows Server, which is beyond the scope of simply using Azure Files alone. The absence of any built-in on-premises agent or tiering engine means the cloud share can only be reached over the network, failing the hybrid connectivity requirement.
- ✓
Azure File Sync
Why this is correct
Azure File Sync is the correct hybrid solution because it combines an Azure file share with a local Windows Server caching tier. The sync agent replicates changes both ways, and cloud tiering ensures only hot files occupy on-premises capacity while all data remains accessible on demand. This gives the performance and compatibility of local SMB storage with the durability and scalability of Azure Files, directly addressing the requirement for cloud connectivity and local caching.
- ✗
Azure NetApp Files
Why it's wrong here
Azure NetApp Files is a high-performance, fully managed storage service for cloud-native workloads, offering both SMB and NFS access. It does not include a server-based sync engine or a cloud tiering mechanism to cache data on an on-premises server; its data placement is fully within Azure, not extended to on-premises storage. While it can be accessed over ExpressRoute, it is not a replacement for Azure File Sync in a hybrid scenario that requires a local cache and bidirectional synchronization.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This AZ-305 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-305 exam.