AZ-104 Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of deploy and manage azure compute. 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
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?
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.
A
A public marketplace Windows Server image.
Why wrong: A marketplace image is a generic starting point and would not include the approved software build.
B
A custom image stored in Azure Compute Gallery.
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.
C
A snapshot of the VM operating system disk.
Why wrong: A snapshot captures disk state, but it is not the recommended reusable image source for standardized VM deployment.
D
A temporary disk attached to the VM.
Why wrong: The temporary disk is ephemeral scratch storage and cannot be used as a reusable deployment image.
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.
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.
✗
A public marketplace Windows Server image.
Why it's wrong here
A marketplace image is a generic starting point and would not include the approved software build.
✓
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.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
A snapshot of the VM operating system disk.
Why it's wrong here
A snapshot captures disk state, but it is not the recommended reusable image source for standardized VM deployment.
✗
A temporary disk attached to the VM.
Why it's wrong here
The temporary disk is ephemeral scratch storage and cannot be used as a reusable deployment image.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often 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.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Compute Gallery stores images as managed image definitions, which can include multiple versions (e.g., 1.0.0, 2.0.0) and support both generalized (Sysprep) and specialized images. When deploying from a generalized custom image, Azure automatically runs the specialization process (e.g., generating a new SID and computer name) during provisioning, ensuring each VM is unique. This is critical for enterprise environments where consistent, repeatable deployments are required, and the gallery also enables cross-region replication for disaster recovery or global rollouts.
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.
Deploy and Manage Azure Compute — This question tests Deploy and Manage Azure Compute — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: 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.
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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Question Discussion
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