The answer is to create an activity log alert for write operations on the storage account resource. This is correct because activity log alerts are specifically designed to monitor Azure resource-level operations, such as write actions that modify storage account configurations like disabling public network access, whereas metric alerts track performance data like transaction counts and cannot detect configuration changes. On the AZ-104 exam, this distinction tests your understanding of Azure Monitor’s alerting capabilities, often appearing in scenario-based questions where you must choose between metric and activity log alerts—a common trap is selecting a metric alert because it seems simpler, but it only monitors numerical thresholds, not resource changes. A useful memory tip is to think of activity log alerts as “who did what and when” for configuration events, while metric alerts are “how much” for performance metrics.
AZ-104 Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of monitor and maintain azure resources. 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.
Exhibit
Current alert rule:
Name: StorageTxnAlert
Target: storage account stprod001
Signal type: Metric
Metric: Transactions
Condition: Greater than 100 in 5 minutes
Action group: SecOps
Change request: notify the team when anyone edits the storage account network rules or disables public access.
Based on the exhibit, the security team wants an alert whenever someone changes the configuration of a storage account, such as disabling public network access. The current rule is a metric alert on transaction count. What should you use instead?
Current alert rule:
Name: StorageTxnAlert
Target: storage account stprod001
Signal type: Metric
Metric: Transactions
Condition: Greater than 100 in 5 minutes
Action group: SecOps
Change request: notify the team when anyone edits the storage account network rules or disables public access.
A
Keep the metric alert and lower the threshold to 10 transactions.
Why wrong: Transaction volume does not tell you whether someone changed a setting. Lowering the threshold would still watch traffic, not configuration changes.
B
Create a service health alert because storage account settings affect platform status.
Why wrong: Service health alerts are for Azure platform incidents, not changes made by administrators to a specific resource configuration.
C
Use a Log Analytics query alert against VM guest logs to detect network-rule changes.
Why wrong: VM guest logs are unrelated to storage account management actions. Even if logs exist, they do not reliably capture control-plane edits on the storage account.
D
Create an activity log alert for write operations on the storage account resource.
Configuration changes to a storage account are control-plane actions and appear in the Azure Activity log. An activity log alert on write operations is the right monitoring approach because it detects management changes, not traffic patterns.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create an activity log alert for write operations on the storage account resource.
Activity log alerts are designed to monitor Azure resource-level operations, such as write actions that modify storage account configurations. Option D is correct because it creates an alert specifically for write operations on the storage account resource, which captures events like disabling public network access. This is the appropriate method for detecting configuration changes, unlike metric alerts which track performance data.
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.
✗
Keep the metric alert and lower the threshold to 10 transactions.
Why it's wrong here
Transaction volume does not tell you whether someone changed a setting. Lowering the threshold would still watch traffic, not configuration changes.
✗
Create a service health alert because storage account settings affect platform status.
Why it's wrong here
Service health alerts are for Azure platform incidents, not changes made by administrators to a specific resource configuration.
✗
Use a Log Analytics query alert against VM guest logs to detect network-rule changes.
Why it's wrong here
VM guest logs are unrelated to storage account management actions. Even if logs exist, they do not reliably capture control-plane edits on the storage account.
✓
Create an activity log alert for write operations on the storage account resource.
Why this is correct
Configuration changes to a storage account are control-plane actions and appear in the Azure Activity log. An activity log alert on write operations is the right monitoring approach because it detects management changes, not traffic patterns.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse metric alerts (which monitor performance counters like transaction count) with activity log alerts (which monitor resource management operations), leading them to choose options that track the wrong type of data.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Activity log alerts use Azure Resource Manager telemetry to capture control-plane operations, such as PUT, POST, or DELETE requests on a resource. Each write operation generates an event in the activity log with details like the caller, timestamp, and changed properties, allowing precise alerting on specific actions like disabling public network access. This approach is distinct from data-plane monitoring (e.g., metrics or logs) and is essential for compliance and security scenarios where configuration drift must be detected in real time.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-104 question in full detail.
Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources — This question tests Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an activity log alert for write operations on the storage account resource. — Activity log alerts are designed to monitor Azure resource-level operations, such as write actions that modify storage account configurations. Option D is correct because it creates an alert specifically for write operations on the storage account resource, which captures events like disabling public network access. This is the appropriate method for detecting configuration changes, unlike metric alerts which track performance data.
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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