The answer is to apply a CanNotDelete lock on each resource individually. This is correct because a CanNotDelete lock specifically prevents accidental deletion of a resource while still allowing all other operations, such as modifying configurations and applying patches, which is exactly what the payroll VM and storage account require. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Azure resource locks and their granularity—a common trap is applying the lock at the resource group level, which would affect all resources, or confusing CanNotDelete with ReadOnly, which blocks modifications. The key distinction is that CanNotDelete only blocks deletion, leaving full read and write access intact for ongoing administration. A helpful memory tip: think of it as a “soft lock” that says “you can touch everything, but you cannot throw it away.”
AZ-104 Manage Azure Identities and Governance Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of manage azure identities and governance. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 shared resource group contains a VM and a storage account used by payroll. Administrators still need to modify configuration and apply patches, but accidental deletion of either resource must be prevented. What should the administrator apply?
Why wrong: ReadOnly would block normal updates and patching, which conflicts with the requirement to continue making changes.
B
A CanNotDelete lock on each resource.
CanNotDelete prevents deletion while still allowing updates, and applying it per resource limits collateral impact.
C
A policy assignment that denies delete operations on the resource group.
Why wrong: Azure Policy is not the right control for simple deletion protection when a lock is available and more direct.
D
A management group with a deny assignment.
Why wrong: Management groups organize subscriptions and governance, but they are not the most precise control for protecting two resources in one group.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
A CanNotDelete lock on each resource.
Option B is correct because a CanNotDelete lock prevents the deletion of a resource while still allowing all other operations, including configuration modifications and patching. This meets the requirement of protecting the VM and storage account from accidental deletion while preserving administrative access for updates.
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.
✗
A ReadOnly lock on the entire resource group.
Why it's wrong here
ReadOnly would block normal updates and patching, which conflicts with the requirement to continue making changes.
✓
A CanNotDelete lock on each resource.
Why this is correct
CanNotDelete prevents deletion while still allowing updates, and applying it per resource limits collateral impact.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
A policy assignment that denies delete operations on the resource group.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Policy is not the right control for simple deletion protection when a lock is available and more direct.
✗
A management group with a deny assignment.
Why it's wrong here
Management groups organize subscriptions and governance, but they are not the most precise control for protecting two resources in one group.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse resource locks with Azure Policy or RBAC, mistakenly thinking a policy or role assignment at the resource group scope will protect individual resources, when in fact locks must be applied directly to each resource to prevent its deletion.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure resource locks operate at the Azure Resource Manager (ARM) control plane layer, using the `Microsoft.Authorization/locks` resource type. A CanNotDelete lock is implemented as a `CanNotDelete` role assignment that denies the `Microsoft.Resources/subscriptions/resourceGroups/resources/delete` action, but it still allows read, write, and other operations. Under the hood, locks are inherited by child resources but not by sibling resources, so applying a lock on the resource group would protect the group itself but not the VM or storage account individually unless they are explicitly locked.
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-104 question in full detail.
Manage Azure Identities and Governance — This question tests Manage Azure Identities and Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A CanNotDelete lock on each resource. — Option B is correct because a CanNotDelete lock prevents the deletion of a resource while still allowing all other operations, including configuration modifications and patching. This meets the requirement of protecting the VM and storage account from accidental deletion while preserving administrative access for updates.
What should I do if I get this AZ-104 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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A production resource group contains several VMs and a storage account. The operations manager wants to prevent accidental deletion of the resource group and its resources, but still allow normal configuration changes during maintenance windows. Which lock should be applied to the resource group?
medium
A.ReadOnly lock at the resource group scope.
✓ B.CanNotDelete lock at the resource group scope.
C.Azure Policy assignment that denies all delete requests.
D.Apply the lock only to individual virtual machines.
Why B: A CanNotDelete lock at the resource group scope prevents the deletion of the resource group and all its resources, while still allowing configuration changes (e.g., modifying VM settings or updating storage account properties). This meets the operations manager's requirement to block accidental deletion but permit normal maintenance operations. ReadOnly locks would block all write operations, which is too restrictive for maintenance windows.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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This AZ-104 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-104 exam.
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