- A
Use Azure Container Instances for the workload.
Correct. ACI is designed for short-lived container runs without managing hosts or clusters.
- B
Set the container group's restart policy to Never.
Correct. A one-shot workload should stop after completion instead of restarting like a service.
- C
Create an App Service plan with deployment slots.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Deployment slots are an App Service feature for web app deployments, not batch containers.
- D
Use a virtual machine scale set to host the container.
Why wrong: Incorrect. VM scale sets still require VM management, which the requirement explicitly wants to avoid.
- E
Place the workload in an availability set for host protection.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Availability sets provide VM resilience, but they do not remove server management overhead.
Quick Answer
The answer is to set the container group's restart policy to Never. This is correct because Azure Container Instances with restart policy Never ensures the container runs exactly once for its workload—here, a 12-minute build task—then exits and deallocates all resources without leaving any always-on server behind, perfectly matching the ephemeral, no-inbound-connections requirement. On the AZ-104 exam, this tests your understanding of ACI’s three restart policies: Always, OnFailure, and Never, where Never is the trap for short-lived, single-run jobs; many mistakenly choose OnFailure, but that only triggers on non-zero exit codes, not for successful completions. Remember the mnemonic “Never for one-and-done” to instantly recall that Never is for tasks that should not restart under any condition, making it ideal for build pipelines or batch processing.
AZ-104 Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of deploy and manage azure compute. 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.
A build pipeline starts a Linux container once per request. Each run lasts about 12 minutes, never needs inbound connections, and should not leave an always-on server running afterward. Which two configuration choices best fit Azure Container Instances? Select two.
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.
Clue:
"always"Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. An answer using 'always' is only correct if there are genuinely no exceptions — absolute statements are often wrong in networking.
Clue:
"never"Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. True only if the statement has zero exceptions — be cautious of options that seem obvious but break down in edge cases.
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
Use Azure Container Instances for the workload.
Azure Container Instances (ACI) is the correct choice because it is a serverless container platform that starts containers on demand, runs them for the duration of the workload (here ~12 minutes), and automatically stops and deallocates resources when the container exits. It requires no always-on infrastructure, supports Linux containers, and does not need inbound connections, making it ideal for ephemeral build pipeline tasks.
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.
- ✓
Use Azure Container Instances for the workload.
Why this is correct
Correct. ACI is designed for short-lived container runs without managing hosts or clusters.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "always", "never" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Set the container group's restart policy to Never.
Why this is correct
Correct. A one-shot workload should stop after completion instead of restarting like a service.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "always", "never" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create an App Service plan with deployment slots.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Deployment slots are an App Service feature for web app deployments, not batch containers.
- ✗
Use a virtual machine scale set to host the container.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. VM scale sets still require VM management, which the requirement explicitly wants to avoid.
- ✗
Place the workload in an availability set for host protection.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Availability sets provide VM resilience, but they do not remove server management overhead.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse Azure Container Instances with always-on services like App Service or VM-based solutions, failing to recognize that ACI's 'Never' restart policy perfectly matches the requirement for a single-run, ephemeral workload that leaves no server running afterward.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Container Instances uses a hypervisor-level isolation layer to run containers directly on Azure infrastructure without managing VMs. When the restart policy is set to 'Never', the container group runs exactly once and transitions to a 'Stopped' state after the container exits, ensuring no residual compute costs. The container's lifecycle is fully managed by the Azure Container Group API, which handles image pull, resource allocation, and cleanup, making it suitable for CI/CD pipeline tasks that require isolated, short-lived execution.
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.
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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: Use Azure Container Instances for the workload. — Azure Container Instances (ACI) is the correct choice because it is a serverless container platform that starts containers on demand, runs them for the duration of the workload (here ~12 minutes), and automatically stops and deallocates resources when the container exits. It requires no always-on infrastructure, supports Linux containers, and does not need inbound connections, making it ideal for ephemeral build pipeline tasks.
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", "always", "never". 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
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 →
Same concept, more angles
3 more ways 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 build pipeline needs to run a Linux container for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. The team does not want to manage servers, clusters, or an always-on VM. Which Azure service should be used?
easy- ✓ A.Azure Container Instances
- B.Azure Kubernetes Service
- C.Azure Virtual Machine
- D.Azure App Service
Why A: Azure Container Instances (ACI) is the correct choice because it allows you to run a Linux container directly on Azure without provisioning or managing any underlying infrastructure. ACI is ideal for short-lived, burstable workloads like a build pipeline that runs for 10–15 minutes, as it supports per-second billing and automatic startup/shutdown without the overhead of a cluster or VM.
Variation 2. A build pipeline starts a containerized data-processing job every evening. Each run finishes in under 20 minutes, does not need persistent servers, and never receives inbound traffic. Which compute service best fits this workload?
medium- A.Azure App Service
- ✓ B.Azure Container Instances
- C.Azure Virtual Machines
- D.Azure Kubernetes Service
Why B: Azure Container Instances (ACI) is the best fit because it allows you to run a containerized job directly in Azure without provisioning or managing any underlying infrastructure. The workload is short-lived (under 20 minutes), requires no persistent servers, and has no inbound traffic, which aligns perfectly with ACI's pay-per-second billing and ability to start containers on demand from a build pipeline.
Variation 3. A team needs to run a Linux container for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, triggered by an external system. They do not want to manage servers, clusters, or a web framework. Which Azure service is the best fit?
medium- ✓ A.Azure Container Instances
- B.Azure App Service
- C.Azure Kubernetes Service
- D.A virtual machine
Why A: Azure Container Instances (ACI) is the best fit because it allows you to run a container directly in Azure without managing any underlying servers or orchestrators. The service is designed for short-lived, burst workloads (like 15–20 minutes) and can be triggered on-demand via an external system (e.g., HTTP request, Azure Logic Apps, or SDK). ACI automatically starts the container, runs it, and then stops and deallocates resources when the task completes, matching the exact requirement of no server, cluster, or web framework management.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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