AZ-104 Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources Practice Question
Exhibit
Recovery Services vault: rsv-prod Backup Items > Azure Virtual Machine Item: vm-app01 Protection status: Protection stopped Deletion status: Deleted Soft Delete: Enabled Retention window remaining: 13 days
Based on the exhibit, the VM backup item was accidentally deleted from the vault yesterday, but the VM itself still exists. What should you do to resume protection with the existing backup item?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates think deleting a backup item permanently removes all data, but Azure Backup's soft-delete feature retains the data for 14 days, allowing recovery without recreating the VM or backup configuration.
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
✓
Recover or undelete the backup item from the vault before the soft-delete retention expires.
Azure Backup uses soft-delete for backup items, which retains deleted backup data for 14 days by default. Since the backup item was accidentally deleted yesterday, it is still in the soft-delete state and can be recovered or undeleted from the vault before the retention period expires. Once recovered, protection can be resumed on the existing VM without data loss or reconfiguration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Delete the VM and recreate it so the backup can start again.
Why it's wrong here
Deleting and recreating the Azure VM does not remove the backup item from the Recovery Services vault, because the backup item is a separate metadata entity that persists in a soft-deleted state. A newly created VM has a new resource identity and requires a fresh backup configuration, which forces an initial backup and abandons all existing recovery points. The correct path is to undelete the existing backup item from the vault, preserving the original protection chain and recovery points without rebuilding the workload.
When this WOULD be correct
If the VM itself is corrupted or compromised and cannot be recovered, and the backup data is also lost or unavailable, then deleting and recreating the VM might be the only way to start fresh protection.
- ✓
Recover or undelete the backup item from the vault before the soft-delete retention expires.
Why this is correct
Because soft delete is enabled and the retention window is still open, the deleted backup item can be recovered from the Recovery Services vault. Undeleting the item restores the backup relationship without requiring a new protection configuration or a rebuild of the VM.
- ✗
Create a new action group so the vault can re-enable protection.
Why it's wrong here
Action groups are Azure Monitor constructs that define notification or automation responses to alerts, such as sending email, SMS, or firing a webhook; they do not influence the state of backup items in a vault. Azure Backup protection is tied to a backup policy and the item's health state, not to action group membership, so creating a new action group cannot re-enable protection after a deletion. Only the soft-delete recovery operation at the vault level can restore the backup relationship for a deleted item.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question were about configuring alerts for backup failures or restoring a backup job that failed due to missing notification settings, creating a new action group would be correct to receive alerts.
- ✗
Disable diagnostic settings on the vault and then re-enable them.
Why it's wrong here
Diagnostic settings in a Recovery Services vault route monitoring telemetry such as job status and health events to Log Analytics or Storage; they are not part of the Azure Backup control plane that manages protected items. Deleting a backup item creates a soft-deleted record with its own lifecycle, and toggling diagnostic settings only affects whether log data is streamed. This action neither reverts the deletion nor restores the backup item, so it has no effect on recoverability.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question were about troubleshooting backup failure due to misconfigured diagnostic settings (e.g., missing or incorrect Log Analytics workspace), disabling and re-enabling them could reset the data flow and resolve the issue.
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.
✓Recover or undelete the backup item from the vault before the soft-delete retention expires.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Because soft delete is enabled and the retention window is still open, the deleted backup item can be recovered from the Recovery Services vault. Undeleting the item restores the backup relationship without requiring a new protection configuration or a rebuild of the VM.
✗Delete the VM and recreate it so the backup can start again.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Deleting the VM would cause loss of data and is unnecessary because the backup item can be recovered from soft-delete state without recreating the VM.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the VM itself is corrupted or compromised and cannot be recovered, and the backup data is also lost or unavailable, then deleting and recreating the VM might be the only way to start fresh protection.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that a deleted backup item requires a fresh start, and deleting the VM seems like a clean way to re-establish protection from scratch.
✗Create a new action group so the vault can re-enable protection.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Creating a new action group does not restore a deleted backup item or re-enable protection. Action groups define notification settings for alerts, not backup item recovery.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question were about configuring alerts for backup failures or restoring a backup job that failed due to missing notification settings, creating a new action group would be correct to receive alerts.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse action groups with backup protection policies, thinking that a new action group can somehow re-enable backup protection after deletion.
✗Disable diagnostic settings on the vault and then re-enable them.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Disabling and re-enabling diagnostic settings on the vault does not restore a soft-deleted backup item or resume protection; it only affects logging and monitoring data sent to Azure Monitor.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question were about troubleshooting backup failure due to misconfigured diagnostic settings (e.g., missing or incorrect Log Analytics workspace), disabling and re-enabling them could reset the data flow and resolve the issue.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse diagnostic settings with backup configuration, thinking that toggling settings can 'reset' the backup service or re-establish protection without understanding the soft-delete feature.
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?”
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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