The answer is Azure NetApp Files and Azure Files. Both services support the SMB protocol and are capable of handling high file counts, but Azure NetApp Files is specifically engineered for high-performance workloads with millions of small files, offering consistent low latency and throughput even under extreme file density. Azure Files also supports SMB and can manage millions of files, though its performance may degrade with very high file counts due to its distributed namespace architecture. On the AZ-305 exam, this question tests your ability to differentiate between native Azure file services for large-scale migrations, with a common trap being to overlook Azure Files’ limitations under extreme file counts. A useful memory tip is to associate “NetApp” with “Net Performance” for high-density scenarios, while remembering that “Files” is a solid general-purpose choice but not the top performer for massive file counts.
AZ-305 Design infrastructure solutions Practice Question
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design infrastructure 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.
Your organization is planning to migrate a large number of on-premises file servers to Azure. The data includes millions of small files. You need to select a storage solution that supports SMB protocol and can handle high file counts. Which TWO Azure services meet these requirements?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Azure Files
Azure Files supports SMB and can handle millions of files, though performance may degrade with very high file counts; Azure NetApp Files is a high-performance file service supporting SMB and large file counts.
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.
✗
Azure Stack Edge
Why it's wrong here
Azure Stack Edge is a hardware appliance for edge computing, not a cloud file storage service.
✗
Azure Blob Storage with NFS 3.0
Why it's wrong here
Blob Storage does not support SMB; it supports NFS but not SMB.
✓
Azure Files
Why this is correct
Azure Files provides fully managed SMB file shares and can scale to store millions of files, though performance considerations apply.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Azure NetApp Files
Why this is correct
Azure NetApp Files is a high-performance file storage service that supports SMB and can handle large numbers of files with consistent performance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Azure Disk Storage
Why it's wrong here
Azure Disk Storage provides block storage for VMs, not shared file access via SMB.
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: Azure Files — Azure Files supports SMB and can handle millions of files, though performance may degrade with very high file counts; Azure NetApp Files is a high-performance file service supporting SMB and large file counts.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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