The answer is to associate an NSG with the target VM’s NIC and add an inbound allow rule for TCP 22 from your admin IP. This is correct because Network Security Groups (NSGs) can be applied at either the subnet or NIC level; by attaching the NSG directly to the NIC, you create a host-level filter that allows SSH to a single VM in a subnet without exposing others, since the rule only applies to that specific interface and leaves the subnet-level NSG (if any) unchanged. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of NSG association scope and the principle of least privilege—a common trap is choosing a subnet-level NSG rule, which would open port 22 to all VMs in that subnet. Remember the memory tip: “NIC for specific, subnet for collective”—if you need to isolate one VM, always think NIC-level association.
AZ-104 Implement and Manage Virtual Networking Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage virtual networking. 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.
You need to allow SSH access to only one Linux VM in a subnet that contains several application servers. The other VMs in the subnet must remain inaccessible from the internet. What is the best configuration?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Associate an NSG with the target VM's NIC and add an inbound allow rule for TCP 22 from your admin IP.
Option B is correct because Network Security Groups (NSGs) can be associated at the subnet or NIC level. By associating an NSG directly with the target VM's NIC and adding an inbound allow rule for TCP port 22 from your admin IP address, you restrict SSH access exclusively to that VM while leaving the other VMs in the subnet unaffected by the rule. This provides granular, host-level security without impacting the broader subnet traffic.
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.
✗
Add an inbound allow rule on the subnet NSG for TCP 22 from your admin IP address.
Why it's wrong here
This would allow SSH to every NIC in the subnet, not only the target VM.
✓
Associate an NSG with the target VM's NIC and add an inbound allow rule for TCP 22 from your admin IP.
Why this is correct
A NIC-level NSG can restrict access to a single VM without opening SSH for the rest of the subnet.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create a public load balancer in front of the subnet and forward port 22 to the VM.
Why it's wrong here
A load balancer is not the best least-privilege control for one administrative SSH target.
✗
Enable a service endpoint on the subnet so SSH traffic is limited to that VM.
Why it's wrong here
Service endpoints apply to supported PaaS services, not to SSH access to a virtual machine.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume subnet-level NSG rules are sufficient for granular control, but they fail to recognize that a subnet NSG applies to all VMs in that subnet, whereas a NIC-level NSG provides per-VM isolation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NSG rules are evaluated in priority order based on the 5-tuple (source IP, source port, destination IP, destination port, protocol). When an NSG is associated at the NIC level, it is processed after the subnet NSG, allowing for more specific overrides. In a real-world scenario, you might combine subnet-level deny rules for broad restrictions with NIC-level allow rules for specific administrative access, ensuring defense-in-depth while maintaining least-privilege access.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-104 question in full detail.
Implement and Manage Virtual Networking — This question tests Implement and Manage Virtual Networking — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Associate an NSG with the target VM's NIC and add an inbound allow rule for TCP 22 from your admin IP. — Option B is correct because Network Security Groups (NSGs) can be associated at the subnet or NIC level. By associating an NSG directly with the target VM's NIC and adding an inbound allow rule for TCP port 22 from your admin IP address, you restrict SSH access exclusively to that VM while leaving the other VMs in the subnet unaffected by the rule. This provides granular, host-level security without impacting the broader subnet traffic.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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