- A
Assign Reader at the subscription scope so the staff can view the VMs.
Why wrong: Reader lets users view resource settings, but it does not allow restart actions on virtual machines.
- B
Assign Virtual Machine Contributor at the RG-Dev scope.
Virtual Machine Contributor allows managing virtual machines, including restart operations, while avoiding broader control over networking resources. Assigning it at the resource group scope limits access to only RG-Dev, which matches the least-privilege requirement.
- C
Assign Contributor at the RG-Dev scope.
Why wrong: Contributor can manage all resources in the resource group, including networking and deletion, which is broader than required.
- D
Assign Virtual Machine Administrator Login at the RG-Dev scope.
Why wrong: Virtual Machine Administrator Login controls guest OS sign-in, not Azure management actions like restarting or viewing resource properties.
AZ-104 Manage Azure Identities and Governance Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of manage azure identities and governance. 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.
An operations team needs to let helpdesk staff restart virtual machines and view their properties only in RG-Dev. The staff must not be able to manage virtual networks, disks, or delete any resources. What is the best built-in role assignment?
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 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
Assign Virtual Machine Contributor at the RG-Dev scope.
The Virtual Machine Contributor role at the RG-Dev scope grants the exact permissions needed: it allows restarting VMs and viewing their properties while explicitly preventing management of virtual networks, disks, or deletion of resources. This built-in role includes the 'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/restart/action' and read permissions, but excludes write/delete on networking and storage resources, meeting all requirements.
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.
- ✗
Assign Reader at the subscription scope so the staff can view the VMs.
Why it's wrong here
Reader lets users view resource settings, but it does not allow restart actions on virtual machines.
- ✓
Assign Virtual Machine Contributor at the RG-Dev scope.
Why this is correct
Virtual Machine Contributor allows managing virtual machines, including restart operations, while avoiding broader control over networking resources. Assigning it at the resource group scope limits access to only RG-Dev, which matches the least-privilege requirement.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Assign Contributor at the RG-Dev scope.
Why it's wrong here
Contributor can manage all resources in the resource group, including networking and deletion, which is broader than required.
- ✗
Assign Virtual Machine Administrator Login at the RG-Dev scope.
Why it's wrong here
Virtual Machine Administrator Login controls guest OS sign-in, not Azure management actions like restarting or viewing resource properties.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose Contributor (Option C) thinking it's a safe middle ground, but it actually grants full management rights including deletion, which violates the explicit restriction in the question.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The Virtual Machine Contributor role is defined by Azure RBAC with a specific set of actions under 'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/*' but excludes 'Microsoft.Network/*' and 'Microsoft.Storage/*' write/delete actions. This granularity is achieved through Azure Resource Manager's role definition JSON, where 'NotActions' can be used to explicitly deny certain operations, though in this case the role simply omits those permissions. In a real-world scenario, this role is ideal for helpdesk teams that need to perform VM lifecycle operations without risking accidental deletion of critical networking or storage infrastructure.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-104 question test?
Manage Azure Identities and Governance — This question tests Manage Azure Identities and Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Assign Virtual Machine Contributor at the RG-Dev scope. — The Virtual Machine Contributor role at the RG-Dev scope grants the exact permissions needed: it allows restarting VMs and viewing their properties while explicitly preventing management of virtual networks, disks, or deletion of resources. This built-in role includes the 'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/restart/action' and read permissions, but excludes write/delete on networking and storage resources, meeting all requirements.
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.
About these practice questions
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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.
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