- A
A custom image
A custom image is the best option when you want future VMs to start from an approved, preconfigured build. The image captures the operating system plus installed software and settings so you can deploy consistent new VMs from the same baseline. This is a common way to standardize environments and speed up repeat deployments.
- B
A snapshot of the OS disk
Why wrong: A snapshot is a point-in-time copy of a disk, but it is not the preferred reusable template for deploying new standardized VMs.
- C
An availability set
Why wrong: An availability set improves availability placement, but it does not define a reusable software build.
- D
A larger VM size
Why wrong: A larger size adds compute resources, but it does not capture the installed applications or configuration.
AZ-104 Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of deploy and manage azure compute. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 team has an approved Windows VM that already includes patches, a monitoring agent, and line-of-business software. They want future VMs to start from that same build. What should they use?
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
A custom image
A custom image captures the exact state of a VM, including installed patches, monitoring agents, and line-of-business software, allowing you to create multiple identical VMs from that golden image. Unlike a snapshot, which is tied to a specific disk and requires manual steps to create a VM, a custom image is stored as a managed image resource that can be used directly during VM provisioning via the Azure portal, CLI, or ARM templates.
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 custom image
Why this is correct
A custom image is the best option when you want future VMs to start from an approved, preconfigured build. The image captures the operating system plus installed software and settings so you can deploy consistent new VMs from the same baseline. This is a common way to standardize environments and speed up repeat deployments.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
A snapshot of the OS disk
Why it's wrong here
A snapshot is a point-in-time copy of a disk, but it is not the preferred reusable template for deploying new standardized VMs.
- ✗
An availability set
Why it's wrong here
An availability set improves availability placement, but it does not define a reusable software build.
- ✗
A larger VM size
Why it's wrong here
A larger size adds compute resources, but it does not capture the installed applications or configuration.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing a snapshot (which is a disk-level backup) with a custom image (which is a deployable template that includes the OS and all software), leading candidates to choose the snapshot option because they think it can be used directly to create a VM with the same configuration.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When you create a custom image from a generalized VM (using Sysprep for Windows), Azure captures the OS disk and any attached data disks into a single managed image resource that supports both the OS and data disk configurations. This image can be used across regions by copying it to other Azure regions, and it supports shared image galleries (formerly SIG) for versioning and replication, enabling consistent deployments at scale with up to 1000 replicas per region.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Deploy and Manage Azure Compute — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Deploy and Manage Azure Compute practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All AZ-104 questions
1,170 questions across all exam domains
- →
AZ-104 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
AZ-104 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
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.
Manage Azure Identities and Governance practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Manage Azure Identities and Governance.
Implement and Manage Storage practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Implement and Manage Storage.
Deploy and Manage Azure Compute practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Deploy and Manage Azure Compute.
Implement and Manage Virtual Networking practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Implement and Manage Virtual Networking.
Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources.
AZ-104 Azure RBAC practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 Azure RBAC.
AZ-104 storage account practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 storage account.
AZ-104 virtual network practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 virtual network.
AZ-104 NSG practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 NSG.
AZ-104 Azure Monitor practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 Azure Monitor.
AZ-104 backup practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 backup.
AZ-104 managed identity practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 managed identity.
Practice this exam
Start a free AZ-104 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-104 question test?
Deploy and Manage Azure Compute — This question tests Deploy and Manage Azure Compute — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A custom image — A custom image captures the exact state of a VM, including installed patches, monitoring agents, and line-of-business software, allowing you to create multiple identical VMs from that golden image. Unlike a snapshot, which is tied to a specific disk and requires manual steps to create a VM, a custom image is stored as a managed image resource that can be used directly during VM provisioning via the Azure portal, CLI, or ARM templates.
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 →
Keep practising
More AZ-104 practice questions
- A storage automation service principal must upload, read, and delete blob data in one container by using Microsoft Entra…
- A subnet contains several application servers. You need to allow inbound TCP 3389 only from a management subnet named Su…
- A subscription admin wants to investigate who changed a resource and also review the platform-generated events for that…
- Based on the exhibit, which Azure feature should the administrator use to track this kind of platform-wide service issue…
- An administrator wants a script running on an Azure VM to create a resource in Azure without storing any passwords or cl…
- A PowerShell script runs on an Azure VM every night and uses Azure CLI commands to create tags and VM resources in anoth…
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.