The answer is that the custom RBAC role lacks the 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/read' permission. This is the most likely cause because reading diagnostic settings for a storage account requires first being able to read the storage account resource itself; the diagnostic settings are a child resource, and Azure RBAC enforces a parent-child permission dependency where you cannot access a resource's configuration without the base read permission on the parent. On the Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert AZ-305 exam, this tests your understanding of how custom roles inherit permissions hierarchically—a common trap is assuming that granting 'Microsoft.Insights/diagnosticSettings/read' alone is sufficient, when in fact the underlying resource read is mandatory. To remember this, think of it as "no parent read, no child access"—you must always check the resource provider's read action before troubleshooting diagnostic settings permissions.
AZ-305 Practice Question: Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design identity, governance, and monitoring 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
```json
{
"roleName": "Custom Storage Auditor",
"Description": "Can read storage account keys and monitor logs",
"Actions": [
"Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/listKeys/action",
"Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/providers/Microsoft.Insights/diagnosticSettings/read"
],
"NotActions": [],
"AssignableScopes": ["/subscriptions/12345-abcde/resourceGroups/Production"]
}
```
You are reviewing a custom RBAC role in Azure. The exhibit shows the role definition. A user with this role reports they cannot read diagnostic settings for a storage account in the Production resource group. What 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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The role does not include 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/read'
The user cannot read diagnostic settings because the custom role lacks the 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/read' permission. This permission is required to read the storage account resource itself, which is a prerequisite for accessing its diagnostic settings. Without it, the role cannot perform any read operations on the storage account, including reading diagnostic logs or metrics configuration.
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 role does not include 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/read'
Why this is correct
Without the read action on storage accounts, the user cannot enumerate storage accounts in the portal or via API.
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.
✗
Custom roles cannot be assigned to users
Why it's wrong here
Custom roles can be assigned to users just like built-in roles.
✗
The role lacks the 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/listKeys/action' permission
Why it's wrong here
The role includes that permission; it is not missing.
✗
The role is assigned at the wrong scope
Why it's wrong here
The scope is the Production resource group, which is correct for storage accounts in that group.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse data plane permissions (like listKeys) with control plane permissions (like read), or assume that diagnostic settings can be read independently of the parent resource's read permission.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Diagnostic settings are a child resource of the storage account, and reading them requires the 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/read' permission on the parent resource. Azure RBAC evaluates permissions hierarchically: without read access to the parent, the user cannot enumerate or view child resources like diagnostic settings. This is consistent with the Azure Resource Manager authorization model, where control plane operations depend on the resource provider's action definitions.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-305 question in full detail.
Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions — This question tests Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The role does not include 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/read' — The user cannot read diagnostic settings because the custom role lacks the 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/read' permission. This permission is required to read the storage account resource itself, which is a prerequisite for accessing its diagnostic settings. Without it, the role cannot perform any read operations on the storage account, including reading diagnostic logs or metrics configuration.
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.
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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