The answer is Azure Files. This is the correct choice because Azure Files offers fully managed SMB file shares in the cloud, allowing you to lift and shift legacy applications that rely on the Server Message Block protocol without any code changes. It supports both SMB 2.1 and SMB 3.0, making it the only Azure service designed specifically for creating managed file shares accessible via SMB. On the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 exam, this question tests your understanding of core storage services, often appearing alongside Azure Blob Storage and Azure Disk Storage as a distractor. A common trap is confusing Azure Files with Azure File Sync; remember that Azure Files is the actual cloud-based SMB share, while File Sync is a tool to cache those shares on-premises. For a quick memory tip, think of the phrase “Files for SMB” — if the question mentions managed SMB file shares in the cloud, the answer is always Azure Files.
AZ-900 Describe Azure architecture and services Practice Question
This AZ-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe azure architecture and services. 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 Azure service allows you to create managed file shares in the cloud that are accessible via the SMB protocol?
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 provides fully managed file shares in the cloud that can be accessed via the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol, making it the correct choice. It allows you to lift and shift legacy applications that rely on SMB file shares without modifying code, and it supports both SMB 2.1 and SMB 3.0 protocols.
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 Blob Storage
Why it's wrong here
Blob Storage is for unstructured object storage, not network file shares via SMB.
✓
Azure Files
Why this is correct
Azure Files provides managed SMB file shares accessible from Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Azure Disk Storage
Why it's wrong here
Azure Disk Storage provides persistent disks for VMs, not shared network file shares.
✗
Azure Data Lake Storage
Why it's wrong here
Data Lake Storage is optimized for big data analytics workloads, not general file share access.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse Azure Files with Azure Blob Storage because both are 'storage' services, but Blob Storage does not support SMB protocol access, whereas Azure Files is the only one that provides managed SMB file shares.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Files uses the SMB 3.0 protocol with encryption in transit, which is critical for secure access from on-premises clients over the internet. Under the hood, each file share is backed by a storage account and can be mounted as a drive letter on Windows, Linux (using cifs-utils), or macOS. A real-world scenario is migrating a legacy on-premises file server to Azure Files to eliminate hardware maintenance while retaining SMB-based access for departmental applications.
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-900 question in full detail.
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: Azure Files — Azure Files provides fully managed file shares in the cloud that can be accessed via the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol, making it the correct choice. It allows you to lift and shift legacy applications that rely on SMB file shares without modifying code, and it supports both SMB 2.1 and SMB 3.0 protocols.
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.
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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