AZ-104 Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Practice Question
Exhibit
Deployment note: - A Windows Server VM was patched, had the monitoring agent installed, and includes line-of-business software. - The VM was generalized and captured for reuse. - The team wants future VMs to start from the same approved build.
Based on the exhibit, which image source should the administrator use to deploy the same approved server build again?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse a snapshot with a custom image, not realizing that a snapshot is not generalized and cannot be used to deploy multiple identical VMs without manual Sysprep and conversion to a managed image.
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
✓
A custom image stored in Azure Compute Gallery.
A custom image stored in Azure Compute Gallery (formerly Shared Image Gallery) is the correct choice because it allows the administrator to capture a generalized VM image that includes the exact OS configuration, applications, and settings of the approved server build. This image can then be used repeatedly to deploy identical VMs, ensuring consistency across deployments. Azure Compute Gallery supports versioning and replication across regions, making it the ideal solution for maintaining and distributing a standardized server build.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
A public marketplace Windows Server image.
Why it's wrong here
A public marketplace Windows Server image is a generic, Microsoft-curated baseline that only includes the operating system and default configuration. It does not contain your organization's line-of-business software, patching baselines, monitoring agents, or security hardening. Deploying from a marketplace image means every VM must go through additional configuration or configuration-management tooling to reach the approved, standardized build, and it cannot guarantee that exact verified state is reused across environments.
- ✓
A custom image stored in Azure Compute Gallery.
Why this is correct
A custom image in Azure Compute Gallery is intended for repeatable deployment of a standardized, generalized VM build. It preserves the patched operating system, installed agent, and line-of-business software so future VMs can be created from the same baseline across environments and subscriptions.
- ✗
A snapshot of the VM operating system disk.
Why it's wrong here
A snapshot of the VM operating system disk is a point-in-time copy of the disk's raw state, including computer-specific details such as the hostname, SID, and installed drivers. It is not a generalized image and is not integrated with Azure Compute Gallery's image definitions, versioning, or cross-subscription replication. To use a snapshot for repeated deployments, you would first need to create a managed disk and then a VM from it, which is not the recommended workflow for producing a standardized, reusable image or for scaling across environments.
- ✗
A temporary disk attached to the VM.
Why it's wrong here
A temporary disk attached to a VM is ephemeral scratch storage that resides on the host node and is not persisted when the VM is deallocated, redeployed, or moved. Its contents, such as page files or temporary application data, are lost on VM lifecycle events, so it cannot serve as a durable source for a reusable deployment image. It is not a managed disk that can be captured or converted into an image, and it is never used as a baseline for provisioning new VMs through Azure Compute Gallery.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This AZ-104 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the AZ-104 exam.