AZ-104 Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Practice Question
A team has an approved Windows VM that already includes their application, patches, and monitoring agent. They want future VMs to start with the same configuration. What should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse a snapshot with a managed image, not realizing that a snapshot only captures a single disk's state and lacks the VM-level configuration needed to create a fully functional VM directly.
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 managed image created from the approved VM
A managed image captures the entire VM configuration, including the OS, application, patches, and monitoring agent, allowing you to create multiple identical VMs from a single source. Unlike a snapshot, which is tied to a specific disk and requires manual steps to replicate the full VM setup, a managed image provides a reusable template for consistent deployments. This approach ensures future VMs start with the exact same configuration as the approved VM.
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 managed image created from the approved VM
Why this is correct
A managed image captures the configured operating system and installed software so you can deploy new VMs with the same baseline. This is the simplest way to standardize a known-good VM configuration for repeated use. It fits the requirement because the team wants future VMs to start from the same approved setup, not rebuild the software manually each time. It is an operationally common choice for consistent VM deployment.
- ✗
An availability set
Why it's wrong here
An availability set is an Azure construct that groups VMs into fault domains and update domains to provide high availability during hardware failures and platform maintenance. It does not capture the OS state, installed applications, or agent configurations because it is purely a placement and resilience mechanism. Therefore, while an availability set can host the approved VMs, it cannot standardize future VM deployments from the approved baseline.
When this WOULD be correct
When the question asks how to ensure that two or more VMs are not placed on the same physical hardware or are updated separately to maintain application availability during maintenance.
- ✗
A snapshot of the OS disk
Why it's wrong here
A snapshot creates a point-in-time, read-only copy of the OS disk that can be converted into a managed disk and used to build a new VM. However, snapshots are intended for backup and recovery, not for reusable VM templating, and they do not package the OS and data disks together as a single image artifact. Additionally, a snapshot of a non-generalized VM retains the original SID and computer name, which can cause identity conflicts in a fleet of VMs and makes it an inappropriate substitute for a properly generalized managed image.
When this WOULD be correct
When you need to create a backup or restore a specific VM's OS disk to the same or a different VM, such as for disaster recovery or rolling back changes, a snapshot is the appropriate choice.
- ✗
A larger virtual machine size
Why it's wrong here
Resizing to a larger VM size only changes the underlying compute allocation, such as the number of vCPUs and the amount of memory available to the existing operating system. It does not modify the contents of the OS or data disks, install any applications, or persist the configuration of the approved app. Consequently, a larger SKU gives the same unapproved VM more resources but does not satisfy the requirement to have the application already installed on a new deployment.
When this WOULD be correct
A question where the requirement is to improve performance of an existing VM that is under heavy load, such as 'A VM is experiencing high CPU usage and needs more compute power. What should you do?'
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.
✓A managed image created from the approved VMCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
A managed image captures the configured operating system and installed software so you can deploy new VMs with the same baseline. This is the simplest way to standardize a known-good VM configuration for repeated use. It fits the requirement because the team wants future VMs to start from the same approved setup, not rebuild the software manually each time. It is an operationally common choice for consistent VM deployment.
✗An availability setWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
An availability set is used to ensure high availability by distributing VMs across fault and update domains, not to capture a VM's configuration for reuse.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
When the question asks how to ensure that two or more VMs are not placed on the same physical hardware or are updated separately to maintain application availability during maintenance.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse availability sets with configuration templates because both involve VMs, but availability sets focus on redundancy, not image reuse.
✗A snapshot of the OS diskWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A snapshot of the OS disk captures only the disk state at a point in time, but it cannot be used directly to deploy new VMs with the same configuration; you would need to create a managed image from the snapshot first.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
When you need to create a backup or restore a specific VM's OS disk to the same or a different VM, such as for disaster recovery or rolling back changes, a snapshot is the appropriate choice.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think a snapshot is sufficient to replicate a VM's configuration because it captures the disk contents, but they overlook that snapshots lack the metadata and generalization required for creating multiple VMs.
✗A larger virtual machine sizeWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Increasing the VM size only changes the hardware resources (CPU/RAM) and does not capture or replicate the OS configuration, application, patches, or monitoring agent. It does not create a reusable template for future VMs.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question where the requirement is to improve performance of an existing VM that is under heavy load, such as 'A VM is experiencing high CPU usage and needs more compute power. What should you do?'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may mistakenly think that a larger VM size implies a more capable or 'better' baseline configuration, confusing hardware scaling with software configuration management.
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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About these practice questions
One of 1,049 original AZ-104 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on AZ-104
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 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?
easy- ✓ A.A custom image
- B.A snapshot of the OS disk
- C.An availability set
- D.A larger VM size
Why A: 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.
JA
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.