- A
Custom Script Extension.
The Custom Script Extension runs post-provisioning commands and scripts on a VM without interactive login.
- B
An availability zone assignment.
Why wrong: Zones improve resilience, but they do not execute post-deployment configuration scripts.
- C
A route table association.
Why wrong: Route tables control network paths and cannot install software on a VM.
- D
A user-assigned managed identity alone.
Why wrong: An identity can authenticate to Azure services, but it does not by itself run installation steps.
Question 587 of 1,170
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.
After a Windows VM is deployed, an administrator must install IIS, copy application files, and run a post-deployment configuration script without connecting interactively to the server. Which Azure feature should be used?
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
✓
Custom Script Extension.
The Custom Script Extension (CSE) is the correct Azure feature because it allows you to run scripts on an Azure VM after deployment without requiring interactive login. It is specifically designed for post-deployment configuration tasks like installing IIS, copying application files, and executing configuration scripts, all executed via the Azure VM agent.
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.
- ✓
Custom Script Extension.
Why this is correct
The Custom Script Extension runs post-provisioning commands and scripts on a VM without interactive login.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
An availability zone assignment.
Why it's wrong here
Zones improve resilience, but they do not execute post-deployment configuration scripts.
When this WOULD be correct
When a question asks how to protect a VM from datacenter failures or ensure high availability, selecting an availability zone assignment would be correct. For example: 'You need to deploy a VM that remains available if one datacenter fails. Which feature should you use?'
- ✗
A route table association.
Why it's wrong here
Route tables control network paths and cannot install software on a VM.
When this WOULD be correct
When a question asks how to force all outbound traffic from a subnet through a network virtual appliance (NVA) or firewall, associating a route table with a user-defined route (UDR) that points to the NVA is the correct answer.
- ✗
A user-assigned managed identity alone.
Why it's wrong here
An identity can authenticate to Azure services, but it does not by itself run installation steps.
When this WOULD be correct
A user-assigned managed identity would be correct in a scenario where a VM needs to authenticate to Azure services (e.g., Azure Key Vault, Azure Storage) without storing credentials, and no script execution is required. For example, an application running on the VM needs to access secrets from Key Vault using the managed identity.
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.
✓Custom Script Extension.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
The Custom Script Extension runs post-provisioning commands and scripts on a VM without interactive login.
✗An availability zone assignment.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Availability zones are for high availability and fault tolerance by distributing resources across physically separate datacenters; they do not provide any mechanism to install software or run scripts on a VM.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
When a question asks how to protect a VM from datacenter failures or ensure high availability, selecting an availability zone assignment would be correct. For example: 'You need to deploy a VM that remains available if one datacenter fails. Which feature should you use?'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse availability zones with automation features because the term 'zone' sounds like a configuration step, leading them to think it can be used for post-deployment tasks.
✗A route table association.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A route table association controls network traffic routing between subnets and does not install software or run scripts on a VM.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
When a question asks how to force all outbound traffic from a subnet through a network virtual appliance (NVA) or firewall, associating a route table with a user-defined route (UDR) that points to the NVA is the correct answer.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse network configuration tasks (like routing) with post-deployment automation, thinking route tables can somehow trigger actions on VMs.
✗A user-assigned managed identity alone.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A user-assigned managed identity alone provides authentication to Azure resources but does not execute scripts or install software on a VM. The question requires running a post-deployment configuration script, which is beyond the capability of a managed identity.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A user-assigned managed identity would be correct in a scenario where a VM needs to authenticate to Azure services (e.g., Azure Key Vault, Azure Storage) without storing credentials, and no script execution is required. For example, an application running on the VM needs to access secrets from Key Vault using the managed identity.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse managed identities with extensions that perform configuration tasks, or they might think that a managed identity can be used to run scripts via some other mechanism, overlooking that the Custom Script Extension is the direct solution for script execution.
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?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse the Custom Script Extension with other automation tools like Azure Automation or Desired State Configuration (DSC), but the question specifically requires a feature that runs a script post-deployment without interactive login, and CSE is the direct, lightweight solution for that task.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The Custom Script Extension leverages the Azure VM agent (WindowsGuestAgent on Windows) to download and execute scripts from Azure Storage (or a public URL) using HTTPS. Under the hood, the extension writes script output and errors to the Windows Event Log (e.g., Application log) and can be invoked via Azure CLI, PowerShell, ARM templates, or the Azure portal. A real-world scenario is automating the installation of a web server and application code during a scale-out event in a Virtual Machine Scale Set, ensuring every new instance is configured identically without manual intervention.
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.
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: Custom Script Extension. — The Custom Script Extension (CSE) is the correct Azure feature because it allows you to run scripts on an Azure VM after deployment without requiring interactive login. It is specifically designed for post-deployment configuration tasks like installing IIS, copying application files, and executing configuration scripts, all executed via the Azure VM agent.
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 →
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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