Question 1easymultiple choice
Full question →easymultiple choiceObjective-mapped
Exhibit
Script context: - The script runs on an Azure VM - Azure CLI is installed - The VM has been assigned a managed identity - The script needs to call Azure Resource Manager in another subscription - No stored credentials are allowed on the VM
Based on the exhibit, a script running on an Azure VM must create resources in another subscription without using passwords or client secrets. Which command should the administrator use first?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Best answer
az login --identity
This command signs in the Azure CLI by using the VM's managed identity instead of a stored username or secret. It is the correct first step when a script on an Azure VM needs to access Azure resources securely without embedded credentials.
B
Distractor review
az login --service-principal
This requires a client secret or certificate, which the scenario explicitly forbids. It is not the secret-free approach requested.
C
Distractor review
az account set --subscription <subscriptionId>
Selecting a subscription is useful after signing in, but it does not perform authentication by itself. The script still needs to authenticate first.
D
Distractor review
Connect-AzAccount -UseDeviceAuthentication
This is an interactive PowerShell sign-in method and is not the best fit for a noninteractive script running on a VM.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A route table contains these entries: 10.0.0.0/8 with next hop Virtual appliance, and 10.1.1.0/24 with next hop Virtual network gateway. Which next hop will Azure use for traffic to 10.1.1.5?
Question 2
You are deploying a stateless web application on Azure virtual machines. The solution must automatically add and remove instances based on CPU demand and allow all instances to be managed as one logical group. Which Azure compute feature should you deploy?
Question 3
You are deploying a Windows Server VM for an internal app. The VM must support Secure Boot and vTPM later, its OS disk must survive host moves, and the team wants the lowest-cost managed disk tier that still behaves like a normal writable OS disk. Which two choices should you make? Select two.
Question 4
You need to deploy several identical virtual machines and ensure that the failure of a single Azure host does not affect all of them. Which feature should you use?
Question 5
You need to connect VNet-Hub and VNet-Spoke so that resources in both virtual networks can communicate privately over the Microsoft backbone. Both virtual networks are in the same region. What should you configure?
Question 6
You need to create a storage account that provides the lowest-cost redundant storage for non-critical data and only needs protection against local disk or server failure within a single datacenter. Which redundancy option should you choose?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-104 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: az login --identity — The correct command is az login --identity because it authenticates the Azure CLI using the VM's managed identity. That avoids passwords, client secrets, and certificates, which aligns exactly with the security requirement. After authentication, the script can choose the target subscription and perform the resource creation tasks it needs. Why others are wrong: A service-principal login needs a secret or certificate, which is not allowed. Setting the subscription does not authenticate the session. Device authentication is interactive and therefore not appropriate for an automated script on a VM.
What should I do if I get this AZ-104 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
Discussion
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