AZ-305 Design data storage solutions Practice Question
A company uses Azure NetApp Files for high-performance file shares accessed by Linux VMs. They need to reduce latency for read-heavy workloads. Which configuration should you implement?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse Azure NetApp Files with Azure Files, assuming that Azure File Sync or SMB mounting can provide similar performance benefits, when in fact Azure NetApp Files uses NFS and its read-only cache is the specific feature designed for reducing read latency.
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
✓
Enable read-only cache on the volume
Azure NetApp Files supports a read-only cache option on volumes, which stores frequently accessed data in a high-speed cache (SSD-based) local to the compute resources. This reduces read latency for read-heavy workloads by serving data from the cache instead of the underlying storage tier. The cache is transparent to the Linux VMs and requires no application changes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Migrate to Azure Files with Azure File Sync
Why it's wrong here
Migrating to Azure Files with Azure File Sync would replace Azure NetApp Files with a different managed file service designed primarily for hybrid sync, not for sustained high IOPS or sub-millisecond latency. Azure Files has lower IOPS and throughput ceilings per share and uses a different storage backend, while Azure File Sync only caches frequently accessed files on-premises and does not enhance cloud-side performance. For a high-performance file workload, this is a downgrade, not a fix.
- ✓
Enable read-only cache on the volume
Why this is correct
Enabling a read-only cache on the volume configures Azure NetApp Files to use local NVMe or SSD storage on the compute cluster as a cache for repeated reads, dramatically reducing latency for read-heavy workloads. This feature is transparent to clients and requires no client-side changes, as cached data is served without hitting the underlying storage tier. It is a targeted, low-friction optimization that directly addresses read performance, unlike cross-service migrations or protocol changes.
- ✗
Disable the export policy to allow all clients
Why it's wrong here
Disabling the export policy on an Azure NetApp Files volume removes all access controls, allowing any NFS client that can reach the network to mount the volume. This is a severe security vulnerability because it bypasses the network-level IP-based allowlist and root-squash protections that govern client access. Export policy changes have no effect on storage latency or throughput, so this option introduces risk without any performance benefit.
- ✗
Mount the volume using SMB protocol
Why it's wrong here
Mounting the volume using SMB protocol instead of NFS is inappropriate for a Linux-based high-performance read workload. SMB adds protocol overhead, including stricter locking and session management, which can increase latency and reduce throughput when used with Linux clients via CIFS compared to NFSv3 or NFSv4.1. Azure NetApp Files supports both protocols, but NFS is the optimized choice for Linux environments, so this change would likely degrade performance rather than improve it.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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