AZ-104 Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Practice Question
A team standardizes 30 Windows VMs for a line-of-business application. They install IIS, a monitoring agent, and baseline security settings on one reference VM. Future deployments must use that same build and be easy to version. Which Azure feature should the administrator create?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse a snapshot with an image, thinking a snapshot can be used to deploy standardized VMs, but snapshots lack versioning, regional replication, and the ability to create multiple VMs directly without additional conversion steps.
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
✓
An image version in Azure Compute Gallery
B is correct because an image version in Azure Compute Gallery (formerly Shared Image Gallery) captures the entire VM configuration—including IIS, monitoring agent, and security settings—into a reusable, versioned image. This allows the team to deploy standardized VMs from the same build and easily manage updates by creating new image versions, meeting the requirements for consistency and versioning.
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 snapshot of the reference VM's OS disk
Why it's wrong here
A snapshot captures a read-only copy of the reference VM's OS disk at a specific point in time, and you could create a new disk or VM from it, but snapshots lack the versioning, cross-region replication, and role-based sharing control of Azure Compute Gallery. Snapshots are point-in-time recovery tools, not optimized for repeatedly provisioning dozens of identical VMs, nor do they support multi-version lifecycle management. Using a snapshot would also require manual steps to generalize or update the OS, making it impractical for uniform fleet deployment.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question asked for a quick, one-time backup or a way to restore a single VM to a specific state without needing to manage multiple versions or share images across regions, a snapshot would be the correct answer.
- ✓
An image version in Azure Compute Gallery
Why this is correct
Azure Compute Gallery is designed for publishing, versioning, and distributing custom VM images. It lets administrators capture a hardened reference image, create managed versions, and deploy consistent new VMs from that approved build across environments or regions.
- ✗
An availability set for the reference VM
Why it's wrong here
Placing the reference VM in an availability set improves resilience by spreading replicas across fault and update domains, but it does not capture the VM's software state or make that build reusable. An availability set is a placement construct for high availability, not an image management or versioning mechanism. To standardize 30 VMs, you need a captured, versioned image—not a logical grouping—so this option fails to address the core requirement.
- ✗
A custom script extension on each new VM
Why it's wrong here
Custom script extensions execute post-boot scripts on each new VM, which can install applications or apply settings, but this approach is fragile because it depends on script maintenance, network access to dependencies, and repeatable execution without drift. It also does not produce a golden image or a versioned catalog, making deployments less consistent and slower than pre-configured images. For a hardened reference build, capturing an image in Azure Compute Gallery is far more reliable than scripting every deployment.
When this WOULD be correct
When the requirement is to run a configuration script (e.g., install IIS, apply settings) on existing VMs after deployment, without needing to capture a full image. For example: 'Deploy 30 VMs from a marketplace image and then run a script to install IIS and monitoring agent.'
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The AZ-104 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓An image version in Azure Compute GalleryCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Azure Compute Gallery is designed for publishing, versioning, and distributing custom VM images. It lets administrators capture a hardened reference image, create managed versions, and deploy consistent new VMs from that approved build across environments or regions.
✗A snapshot of the reference VM's OS diskWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A snapshot captures only the OS disk at a point in time and does not support versioning, sharing across subscriptions, or creating multiple VMs with the same build easily. It lacks the image management and replication capabilities needed for standardized, version-controlled deployments.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question asked for a quick, one-time backup or a way to restore a single VM to a specific state without needing to manage multiple versions or share images across regions, a snapshot would be the correct answer.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think a snapshot is sufficient for creating similar VMs because it captures the disk state, but they overlook the need for versioning, replication, and ease of deployment that an image gallery provides.
✗A custom script extension on each new VMWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Custom script extensions run post-deployment tasks but do not capture or version the entire VM build (OS, IIS, agent, security settings). The question requires a reusable, versioned image, which only Azure Compute Gallery provides.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
When the requirement is to run a configuration script (e.g., install IIS, apply settings) on existing VMs after deployment, without needing to capture a full image. For example: 'Deploy 30 VMs from a marketplace image and then run a script to install IIS and monitoring agent.'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think custom script extensions can automate the setup of new VMs, but they overlook the need for a standardized, versioned base image that includes all pre-installed components.
Analysis generated from the official AZ-104blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.