- A
Assign the built-in Virtual Machine Contributor role at the subscription scope.
Why wrong: This would allow VM management, but the scope is too broad and includes every resource group in the subscription.
- B
Create a custom role with only the required VM actions and assign it at the RG-App scope.
This limits permissions to the exact VM operations needed and confines access to RG-App only.
- C
Assign the built-in Reader role at the RG-App scope and let the team use portal buttons.
Why wrong: Reader allows viewing resources, but it cannot start, stop, or deallocate virtual machines.
- D
Assign the built-in Contributor role at the resource group scope.
Why wrong: Contributor is far broader than required and would permit changes to NICs, disks, and many unrelated resources.
Quick Answer
The answer is to create a custom Azure role with only the required VM actions and assign it at the resource group scope. This is correct because the built-in Virtual Machine Contributor role includes delete, NIC read, and disk management permissions, which must be excluded. By crafting a custom role with only Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/start/action, deallocate/action, and read, you grant the exact Azure custom role for VM start stop deallocate without delete needed for the finance team. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of least privilege and the limitations of built-in roles; a common trap is choosing Virtual Machine Contributor, which gives excessive permissions. Remember that custom roles are essential when you need to strip away unwanted actions like delete or NIC read. A helpful memory tip: “Start, Stop, Deallocate, View—custom role is the clue; Contributor gives too much, so build your own to do.”
AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage storage. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
A finance operations team manages virtual machines in RG-App. They must start, stop, deallocate, and view VM properties for any VM in that resource group. They must not be able to delete VMs, read NIC settings, or manage disks. What should the administrator do?
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
Create a custom role with only the required VM actions and assign it at the RG-App scope.
Option B is correct because the required permissions (start, stop, deallocate, view properties) are a subset of the built-in Virtual Machine Contributor role, but that role also includes delete and other management actions. A custom role allows you to grant only the specific Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/start/action, Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/deallocate/action, and Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/read permissions, while explicitly excluding delete, NIC read, and disk management actions. Assigning this custom role at the RG-App scope ensures the team can manage VMs without broader access.
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.
- ✗
Assign the built-in Virtual Machine Contributor role at the subscription scope.
Why it's wrong here
This would allow VM management, but the scope is too broad and includes every resource group in the subscription.
- ✓
Create a custom role with only the required VM actions and assign it at the RG-App scope.
Why this is correct
This limits permissions to the exact VM operations needed and confines access to RG-App only.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Assign the built-in Reader role at the RG-App scope and let the team use portal buttons.
Why it's wrong here
Reader allows viewing resources, but it cannot start, stop, or deallocate virtual machines.
- ✗
Assign the built-in Contributor role at the resource group scope.
Why it's wrong here
Contributor is far broader than required and would permit changes to NICs, disks, and many unrelated resources.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume the built-in Virtual Machine Contributor role is sufficient because it covers VM management, but they overlook that it includes delete and other broader permissions that must be explicitly excluded via a custom role.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Azure RBAC uses a deny-assignments model where explicit deny permissions override any allow permissions, but custom roles are the standard way to create a least-privilege set of actions. The required VM actions are defined in the Azure Resource Manager provider namespace Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines, and each action (e.g., start, deallocate) maps to a specific operation URI. In a real-world scenario, you might also need to include Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/instanceView/read for viewing VM status, which is a separate permission from the basic read property.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-104 question test?
Implement and Manage Storage — This question tests Implement and Manage Storage — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a custom role with only the required VM actions and assign it at the RG-App scope. — Option B is correct because the required permissions (start, stop, deallocate, view properties) are a subset of the built-in Virtual Machine Contributor role, but that role also includes delete and other management actions. A custom role allows you to grant only the specific Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/start/action, Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/deallocate/action, and Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/read permissions, while explicitly excluding delete, NIC read, and disk management actions. Assigning this custom role at the RG-App scope ensures the team can manage VMs without broader access.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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