The answer is a CanNotDelete lock. This is the correct choice because a CanNotDelete lock prevents the deletion of a resource group while still allowing all read and update operations, such as resizing VMs or modifying tag values, which directly meets the requirement of blocking deletion during a change freeze without restricting administrative updates. In contrast, a ReadOnly lock would block those updates entirely, making it too restrictive for this scenario. On the AZ-104 exam, this distinction tests your understanding of how Azure resource locks operate at different scopes and their granularity; a common trap is assuming ReadOnly is safer, but it actually blocks the very changes administrators need to make. For a quick memory tip, think of CanNotDelete as a "keep it, but keep working" lock, while ReadOnly is a "look, don't touch" lock.
AZ-104 Manage Azure Identities and Governance Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of manage azure identities and governance. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Exhibit
Change-freeze requirement:
- Prevent accidental deletion of RG-Prod
- Allow normal configuration changes inside the resource group
- VM resize operations must still work
Current lock state:
- No locks are configured
Based on the exhibit, the production resource group must not be deleted during a change freeze, but administrators still need to update VM sizes and tag values. Which lock should you apply?
Change-freeze requirement:
- Prevent accidental deletion of RG-Prod
- Allow normal configuration changes inside the resource group
- VM resize operations must still work
Current lock state:
- No locks are configured
A
Apply a ReadOnly lock to RG-Prod.
Why wrong: ReadOnly would block write operations such as resizing VMs and updating tags, which conflicts with the stated requirement to allow changes.
B
Apply a CanNotDelete lock to RG-Prod.
CanNotDelete is designed to stop deletion while still allowing normal read and write operations. That fits a freeze where the team wants to prevent accidental removal but continue making approved changes.
C
Apply a lock to the subscription instead of the resource group.
Why wrong: A subscription lock would be broader than necessary and could interfere with unrelated teams or workloads outside the production resource group.
D
Use Azure Policy with a deny effect to block deletes.
Why wrong: Policy can enforce some governance rules, but a lock is the native control for protecting a resource group from deletion while allowing updates. Policy is not the best fit for this freeze scenario.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Apply a CanNotDelete lock to RG-Prod.
A CanNotDelete lock (B) prevents deletion of the resource group while allowing all other operations, including updating VM sizes and modifying tag values. This meets the requirement of blocking deletion during a change freeze without restricting administrative updates.
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.
✗
Apply a ReadOnly lock to RG-Prod.
Why it's wrong here
ReadOnly would block write operations such as resizing VMs and updating tags, which conflicts with the stated requirement to allow changes.
✓
Apply a CanNotDelete lock to RG-Prod.
Why this is correct
CanNotDelete is designed to stop deletion while still allowing normal read and write operations. That fits a freeze where the team wants to prevent accidental removal but continue making approved changes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Apply a lock to the subscription instead of the resource group.
Why it's wrong here
A subscription lock would be broader than necessary and could interfere with unrelated teams or workloads outside the production resource group.
✗
Use Azure Policy with a deny effect to block deletes.
Why it's wrong here
Policy can enforce some governance rules, but a lock is the native control for protecting a resource group from deletion while allowing updates. Policy is not the best fit for this freeze scenario.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse ReadOnly locks with CanNotDelete locks, assuming that any lock will prevent updates, when in fact ReadOnly locks block all write operations while CanNotDelete locks only block deletion.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Policy can enforce some governance rules, but a lock is the native control for protecting a resource group from deletion while allowing updates. Policy is not the best fit for this freeze scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Resource locks in Azure operate at the management plane level, applying to all users and roles regardless of RBAC permissions. A CanNotDelete lock uses the Microsoft.Authorization/locks resource type and is inherited by all child resources within the scope, ensuring that even an Owner cannot delete the resource group until the lock is removed. This is distinct from Azure Policy, which evaluates compliance during resource creation or update operations but does not inherently block deletion unless a custom policy definition with a 'deny' effect is explicitly created and assigned.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-104 question in full detail.
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: Apply a CanNotDelete lock to RG-Prod. — A CanNotDelete lock (B) prevents deletion of the resource group while allowing all other operations, including updating VM sizes and modifying tag values. This meets the requirement of blocking deletion during a change freeze without restricting administrative updates.
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.
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