- A
Locally-redundant storage (LRS)
Why wrong: LRS replicates data three times within a single datacenter in the primary region. It does not provide any replication to a secondary region, so it cannot survive a regional outage, nor does it offer any secondary read access. This option does not meet the disaster recovery requirement.
- B
Zone-redundant storage (ZRS)
Why wrong: ZRS replicates data across availability zones within a single primary region. While it protects against datacenter failures, it does not replicate data to a separate region. Therefore, it cannot provide read access from a secondary region during a regional outage. This option is insufficient for the stated need.
- C
Geo-redundant storage (GRS)
Why wrong: GRS replicates data to a secondary region but only allows read access to that secondary region after a Microsoft-initiated failover occurs. The scenario specifically requires immediate, continuous read access without waiting for a failover. GRS does not meet this requirement.
- D
Read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS)
RA-GRS provides the same geo-replication as GRS but additionally enables read access to the secondary region at all times, even before any failover event. This meets the company's need for immediate read availability during a regional outage without operational delay.
AZ-900 Describe Azure architecture and services Practice Question
This AZ-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe azure architecture and services. 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.
A company stores sensitive customer transaction records in Azure Blob Storage. The records must be available for read access at all times, even if the primary Azure region becomes unavailable. The company initially configured geo-redundant storage (GRS). During a disaster recovery test, the operations team discovers that although data is replicated to a secondary region, they cannot read the data from the secondary region until a Microsoft-initiated failover occurs. The team needs a solution that provides immediate, continuous read access to the replicated data in the secondary region without waiting for a failover. Which Azure Storage replication option should the company use?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
Read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS)
RA-GRS extends GRS by enabling read access to the data in the secondary region at all times, without requiring a Microsoft-initiated failover. This ensures that the customer transaction records remain continuously readable from the secondary region, meeting the requirement for immediate read access during a primary region outage.
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.
- ✗
Locally-redundant storage (LRS)
Why it's wrong here
LRS replicates data three times within a single datacenter in the primary region. It does not provide any replication to a secondary region, so it cannot survive a regional outage, nor does it offer any secondary read access. This option does not meet the disaster recovery requirement.
- ✗
Zone-redundant storage (ZRS)
Why it's wrong here
ZRS replicates data across availability zones within a single primary region. While it protects against datacenter failures, it does not replicate data to a separate region. Therefore, it cannot provide read access from a secondary region during a regional outage. This option is insufficient for the stated need.
- ✗
Geo-redundant storage (GRS)
Why it's wrong here
GRS replicates data to a secondary region but only allows read access to that secondary region after a Microsoft-initiated failover occurs. The scenario specifically requires immediate, continuous read access without waiting for a failover. GRS does not meet this requirement.
- ✓
Read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS)
Why this is correct
RA-GRS provides the same geo-replication as GRS but additionally enables read access to the secondary region at all times, even before any failover event. This meets the company's need for immediate read availability during a regional outage without operational delay.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" 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
The trap here is that candidates often confuse GRS with RA-GRS, assuming that geo-replication automatically provides read access to the secondary region, when in fact GRS requires a failover event to enable reads, while RA-GRS explicitly enables continuous read access from the secondary endpoint.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
GRS replicates data to a secondary region but only allows read access to that secondary region after a Microsoft-initiated failover occurs. The scenario specifically requires immediate, continuous read access without waiting for a failover. GRS does not meet this requirement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
RA-GRS uses asynchronous block-level replication to copy data to a paired secondary region, and the secondary endpoint is always available for read operations via a separate read-only endpoint (e.g., `https://<storage-account>-secondary.blob.core.windows.net`). This design supports SLA of 99.99% read availability for the secondary region, but note that the replicated data may have a lag of up to 15 minutes due to the asynchronous nature of geo-replication, which is acceptable for most disaster recovery scenarios.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-900 question test?
Describe Azure architecture and services — This question tests Describe Azure architecture and services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS) — RA-GRS extends GRS by enabling read access to the data in the secondary region at all times, without requiring a Microsoft-initiated failover. This ensures that the customer transaction records remain continuously readable from the secondary region, meeting the requirement for immediate read access during a primary region outage.
What should I do if I get this AZ-900 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: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This AZ-900 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-900 exam.
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