mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped

A web API runs on a single Azure VM and must access Azure Key Vault without storing any credentials on the VM. The identity should be tied to that VM and removed when the VM is deleted. What should you enable?

Question 1mediummultiple choice
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A web API runs on a single Azure VM and must access Azure Key Vault without storing any credentials on the VM. The identity should be tied to that VM and removed when the VM is deleted. What should you enable?

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.

A

Distractor review

A user-assigned managed identity

A user-assigned identity can be shared, but it is not automatically removed with the VM.

B

Best answer

A system-assigned managed identity

A system-assigned managed identity is created for one resource, used without secrets, and deleted with that resource.

C

Distractor review

A storage account shared access signature

A SAS token is for data-plane access, but it is still a credential that must be managed and protected.

D

Distractor review

A local administrator account with a strong password

A local password introduces secret management overhead and does not meet the credential-free access requirement.

Common exam trap

Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic

NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.

Technical deep dive

How to think about this question

NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
  • PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
  • Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
  • NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.

TExam Day Tips

  • Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
  • Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
  • Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.

Related practice questions

Related AZ-104 practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

More questions from this exam

Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.

FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this AZ-104 question test?

Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: A system-assigned managed identity — A system-assigned managed identity is the best fit when one Azure resource needs secure access to other services without storing secrets. It is created and managed as part of the VM lifecycle, so it is automatically removed when the VM is deleted. That matches the requirement for VM-tied access to Key Vault and avoids password, certificate, or token storage on the machine. Why others are wrong: A user-assigned managed identity is useful when multiple resources share the same identity, but it is not lifecycle-bound to one VM. A SAS token grants data access, yet it is still a secret that must be issued, rotated, and protected. A local administrator account conflicts with the requirement to avoid credential storage on the VM.

What should I do if I get this AZ-104 question wrong?

Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.

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