- A
Use Azure Policy to deny storage accounts with geo-redundant storage (GRS) or read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS).
Azure Policy can enforce that storage accounts are only LRS or ZRS, keeping data in region.
- B
Use Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 with hierarchical namespace.
Why wrong: Data Lake Storage is a feature of Blob Storage; it does not enforce residency.
- C
Enable Azure Front Door with caching.
Why wrong: Front Door caches content globally but does not guarantee data stays in one region.
- D
Use read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS).
Why wrong: RA-GRS replicates data to a secondary region, violating data residency.
- E
Configure Azure Storage firewall and virtual network service endpoints with a deny-all default rule.
Network rules can block access from outside the region, but data stays in region.
Quick Answer
The answer is to configure Azure Storage firewall and virtual network service endpoints with a deny-all default rule, combined with an Azure Policy that denies the creation of storage accounts using geo-redundant storage (GRS) or read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS). This works because the firewall and service endpoints restrict network access to a specific virtual network and IP range, while the Azure Policy blocks replication SKUs that would copy data to a paired secondary region, ensuring all data remains within a single Azure region. On the AZ-305 exam, this tests your understanding of enforcing data residency in Azure Storage using Azure Policy, often appearing as a scenario where you must prevent data from leaving a compliance boundary. A common trap is confusing network restrictions alone with replication controls—remember that firewall rules limit access but do not stop background geo-replication. Memory tip: think “firewall for access, policy for replication” to cover both enforcement layers.
AZ-305 Design data storage solutions Practice Question
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design data storage solutions. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Which TWO options are valid ways to enforce data residency in Azure Storage to ensure data does not leave a specific Azure region?
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
Use Azure Policy to deny storage accounts with geo-redundant storage (GRS) or read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS).
Azure Policy can enforce data residency by denying the creation of storage accounts that use geo-redundant storage (GRS) or read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS), as these replication options replicate data to a paired secondary region. By applying a policy that blocks these SKUs, you ensure that all storage account data remains within a single Azure region, meeting data residency requirements.
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.
- ✓
Use Azure Policy to deny storage accounts with geo-redundant storage (GRS) or read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS).
Why this is correct
Azure Policy can enforce that storage accounts are only LRS or ZRS, keeping data in region.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 with hierarchical namespace.
Why it's wrong here
Data Lake Storage is a feature of Blob Storage; it does not enforce residency.
- ✗
Enable Azure Front Door with caching.
Why it's wrong here
Front Door caches content globally but does not guarantee data stays in one region.
- ✗
Use read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS).
Why it's wrong here
RA-GRS replicates data to a secondary region, violating data residency.
- ✓
Configure Azure Storage firewall and virtual network service endpoints with a deny-all default rule.
Why this is correct
Network rules can block access from outside the region, but data stays in region.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse data residency with data security or access control, mistakenly thinking that firewall rules (Option E) or network restrictions alone prevent data from leaving a region, when in fact replication settings (GRS/RA-GRS) are the primary mechanism that moves data across regions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Policy uses policy definitions with effect types like 'Deny' to block non-compliant resource creation; for data residency, you can target the 'sku.name' property of Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts to reject GRS or RA-GRS SKUs. Under the hood, GRS replicates data asynchronously to a paired region using Azure Storage replication, and RA-GRS additionally enables read access in that secondary region, both of which break single-region residency. A real-world scenario is a financial institution required by GDPR to keep all customer data within the EU West region, where a policy denying geo-replication ensures no data is copied to a paired region like EU North.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Design data storage solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-305 question test?
Design data storage solutions — This question tests Design data storage solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Azure Policy to deny storage accounts with geo-redundant storage (GRS) or read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS). — Azure Policy can enforce data residency by denying the creation of storage accounts that use geo-redundant storage (GRS) or read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS), as these replication options replicate data to a paired secondary region. By applying a policy that blocks these SKUs, you ensure that all storage account data remains within a single Azure region, meeting data residency requirements.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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