Previous Versions for Azure Files share1 with Least Effort
Short answer
C Configure a Recovery Services vault with an Azure Files backup policy so share1 snapshots are created and retained automatically with minimal effort.
Question
You need to ensure that users can view and restore previous versions of the files stored in share1. The solution must minimize administrative effort.
What should you do?
Key Takeaways
Tests whether you recognize that share snapshots are only the underlying mechanism and that automation of their creation and retention — via Azure Backup — is what satisfies the minimize-effort requirement.
For an Azure Files share, viewing and restoring previous versions requires point-in-time snapshots; the least-administrative-effort way to keep them current is an Azure Files backup policy in a Recovery Services vault, making C the correct answer.
Common mistake: Option D, create share snapshots: snapshots do power the Previous Versions view, but creating them manually (or scripting them) requires repeated administrative work, so it fails the minimize-effort constraint.
Expert Analysis
The boundary: snapshots are the mechanism, not the solution
Share snapshots are indeed what underlies the Previous Versions tab in File Explorer: an SMB client viewing share1 only sees prior versions because point-in-time share snapshots exist. So option D is technically the right mechanism, and that is the trap this question is built around. The deciding constraint is "minimize administrative effort": snapshots created by hand exist only at the moment you take them, so someone must repeatedly create and prune them, or you must build and maintain custom automation. Neither is low-effort.
Why C wins
A Recovery Services vault with an Azure Files backup policy automates the whole lifecycle — scheduled snapshot creation, retention, and expiry — so previous versions stay continuously available for view and restore without ongoing admin work. The comment making this point captures it exactly: manual snapshots "do not meet the requirement to minimize administrative effort," while Backup "natively automates snapshot creation, scheduled policies, and retention."
Why the others fail
Option A is a blob-level feature; point-in-time restore applies to Azure Blob data, not to file-share versions. Option B, soft delete for Azure Files, only protects deleted shares and files from permanent loss — it restores whole deleted items on a retention timer, it does not present a timeline of previous versions for users to browse and roll back. So the correct choice is C.
Official Reference
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-files
This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.
Exam Strategy
On Azure questions, read the efficiency clause last and treat it as a tie-breaker: when two options can technically deliver the outcome, pick the managed or policy-driven one over the manual one. Also map each distractor to its real feature scope — soft delete protects deleted items, point-in-time restore is a blob capability — so you eliminate options that solve a different problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn't creating share snapshots enough for share1?
Does soft delete for Azure Files show previous versions?
Is point-in-time restore a valid option for an Azure Files share?
Community Votes
70% of anonymous learners picked answer C. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Discussion 1 contributions
Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.
From public community threads 1
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fabiomartinsnet 👍 1 Answered CWhile share snapshots are indeed the underlying mechanism that enables users to view and restore previous versions via SMB, creating them manually (or having to write and maintain custom automation scripts) does not meet the requirement to minimize administrative effort. Configuring a Recovery Services vault in Azure Backup natively automates snapshot creation, scheduled policies, and retention management directly for Azure Files, allowing end users to seamlessly access and restore previous versions from File Explorer with zero ongoing administrative overhead.
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