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.
You are the Azure architect for a healthcare organization that needs to store patient medical records (unstructured data) and provide secure access to doctors and nurses via a web application. The data must be encrypted at rest and in transit. Access must be authorized based on the requester's role (doctor, nurse, admin). The solution must be cost-effective and support high concurrency. You decide to use Azure Blob Storage. You need to design the access control mechanism. What should you recommend?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use Azure RBAC with Microsoft Entra ID authentication.
Option A is correct. Using Azure RBAC with Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) allows role-based access control natively integrated with Blob Storage. This meets the requirement of role-based authorization without managing additional keys. Option B is wrong because SAS tokens are not tied to user roles. Option C is wrong because using access keys provides full access, not role-based. Option D is wrong because storage service encryption is enabled by default and doesn't provide access control.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Enable storage service encryption and use HTTPS.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption does not provide access control.
✗
Use shared access signatures (SAS) with stored access policies.
Why it's wrong here
SAS tokens are not tied to user roles.
✓
Use Azure RBAC with Microsoft Entra ID authentication.
Why this is correct
Provides role-based access control natively.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
✗
Use storage account access keys and distribute them to users.
Why it's wrong here
Access keys provide full control, not role-based.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Authentication checks who the user is.
Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
→Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
→Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
→Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-305 question in full detail.
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related AZ-305 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Design data storage solutions — This question tests Design data storage solutions — Authentication checks who the user is..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Azure RBAC with Microsoft Entra ID authentication. — Option A is correct. Using Azure RBAC with Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) allows role-based access control natively integrated with Blob Storage. This meets the requirement of role-based authorization without managing additional keys. Option B is wrong because SAS tokens are not tied to user roles. Option C is wrong because using access keys provides full access, not role-based. Option D is wrong because storage service encryption is enabled by default and doesn't provide access control.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related AZ-305 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
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Question Discussion
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