The answer is that the user-assigned managed identity lacks the required permissions to access the key vault. When you configure Azure Storage customer-managed key encryption, the designated managed identity must have at least the get, wrapKey, and unwrapKey permissions on the key vault to allow the storage account to encrypt and decrypt data. Without these permissions, the deployment fails with a key vault accessibility error, even if the vault itself is reachable and correctly configured. On the Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert AZ-305 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how managed identities interact with Azure RBAC and key vault access policies—a common trap is assuming the issue is network-related or region mismatch, when in fact the identity is simply unauthorized. Remember the mnemonic "GUW" (Get, Unwrap, Wrap) to recall the three essential permissions for troubleshooting Azure Storage CMK key vault permissions.
AZ-305 Design infrastructure solutions Practice Question
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design infrastructure solutions. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Refer to the exhibit. You are analyzing a deployment of Azure Storage account with customer-managed key encryption. The deployment fails with an error indicating that the key vault is not accessible. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Why wrong: The keyUri appears to be correctly formatted; if misspelled, the error would be different.
B
The key vault has a firewall enabled and does not allow access from the storage account
Why wrong: Any such firewall issue would typically require the storage account's trusted service to be enabled, but the error is about access to the key, not network connectivity.
C
The key vault is in a different Azure region than the storage account
Why wrong: Key vaults and storage accounts can be in different regions.
D
The user-assigned managed identity does not have permissions to access the key
The user-assigned identity must be granted at least get, wrapKey, and unwrapKey permissions on the key vault.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The user-assigned managed identity does not have permissions to access the key
The exhibit shows a user-assigned managed identity in the encryption settings. The most likely cause is that the user-assigned managed identity does not have the necessary permissions (get, wrapKey, unwrapKey) on the key vault. Option A is incorrect because the key vault might not be in the same region, but that is not a common issue. Option B is incorrect because the key vault is accessible via URI. Option D is irrelevant because network restrictions are not mentioned. Option C is the most common cause.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
The key vault name is misspelled in the keyUri
Why it's wrong here
The keyUri appears to be correctly formatted; if misspelled, the error would be different.
✗
The key vault has a firewall enabled and does not allow access from the storage account
Why it's wrong here
Any such firewall issue would typically require the storage account's trusted service to be enabled, but the error is about access to the key, not network connectivity.
✗
The key vault is in a different Azure region than the storage account
Why it's wrong here
Key vaults and storage accounts can be in different regions.
✓
The user-assigned managed identity does not have permissions to access the key
Why this is correct
The user-assigned identity must be granted at least get, wrapKey, and unwrapKey permissions on the key vault.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-305 question in full detail.
Identify which AZ-305 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Design infrastructure solutions — This question tests Design infrastructure solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The user-assigned managed identity does not have permissions to access the key — The exhibit shows a user-assigned managed identity in the encryption settings. The most likely cause is that the user-assigned managed identity does not have the necessary permissions (get, wrapKey, unwrapKey) on the key vault. Option A is incorrect because the key vault might not be in the same region, but that is not a common issue. Option B is incorrect because the key vault is accessible via URI. Option D is irrelevant because network restrictions are not mentioned. Option C is the most common cause.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?
Identify which AZ-305 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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