The answer is an approved custom image in an Azure Compute Gallery. This is the correct source because it allows you to deploy a VM quickly from a preapproved, hardened operating system image that has been versioned and replicated across regions, ensuring rapid, consistent deployment without needing to rebuild or validate the OS each time. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Azure Compute Gallery (formerly Shared Image Gallery) as a centralized repository for managing and distributing custom images at scale, often appearing in questions about meeting security and compliance requirements. A common trap is selecting a marketplace image, which is not preapproved by your organization, or a managed disk snapshot, which lacks versioning and regional replication. Memory tip: think of the gallery as a “golden image library” where approved, hardened images are stored and ready for instant deployment across any region.
AZ-104 Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of deploy and manage azure compute. 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.
Exhibit
Deployment notes:
- Security team published a hardened image
- The image has been validated for the organization
- New VMs should start from that exact image
- The administrator wants a straightforward image-based deployment
Based on the exhibit, the administrator needs to deploy a VM quickly using a preapproved hardened operating system image. Which source should be used when creating the VM?
Deployment notes:
- Security team published a hardened image
- The image has been validated for the organization
- New VMs should start from that exact image
- The administrator wants a straightforward image-based deployment
A
An approved custom image in an Azure Compute Gallery.
A custom image in an Azure Compute Gallery lets the team standardize VM deployments on a hardened, approved operating system image. It is the right source when the same validated image should be reused consistently for new VMs. This supports repeatability and compliance across deployments.
B
A temporary public IP address.
Why wrong: A public IP address changes network reachability, but it is not an operating system source for creating a VM.
C
A network security group rule.
Why wrong: An NSG rule controls network traffic, not the OS image used during VM creation.
D
An Azure Monitor alert rule.
Why wrong: Alert rules are for monitoring and notifications, not for supplying the operating system image of a new VM.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
An approved custom image in an Azure Compute Gallery.
An approved custom image in an Azure Compute Gallery (formerly Shared Image Gallery) is the correct source because it allows the administrator to deploy a VM quickly using a preapproved, hardened operating system image. The Azure Compute Gallery provides versioning, replication, and regional distribution of custom images, ensuring that the hardened OS is readily available for rapid deployment across multiple regions. This aligns with the requirement for a preapproved image that meets security and compliance standards.
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.
✓
An approved custom image in an Azure Compute Gallery.
Why this is correct
A custom image in an Azure Compute Gallery lets the team standardize VM deployments on a hardened, approved operating system image. It is the right source when the same validated image should be reused consistently for new VMs. This supports repeatability and compliance across deployments.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
A temporary public IP address.
Why it's wrong here
A public IP address changes network reachability, but it is not an operating system source for creating a VM.
✗
A network security group rule.
Why it's wrong here
An NSG rule controls network traffic, not the OS image used during VM creation.
✗
An Azure Monitor alert rule.
Why it's wrong here
Alert rules are for monitoring and notifications, not for supplying the operating system image of a new VM.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse a VM image source with networking or monitoring components, mistakenly thinking a public IP or NSG rule can serve as an image source, when in fact only a compute gallery or managed image provides the OS disk definition.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Compute Gallery supports multiple image definitions and versions, allowing you to maintain a library of approved, hardened OS images with specific configurations (e.g., security baselines, pre-installed agents). When creating a VM from a gallery image, the deployment leverages the replicated copies in the target region, reducing latency and improving availability. In a real-world scenario, an organization might use Azure Policy to enforce that only images from a specific gallery are used, ensuring compliance with corporate security standards.
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: An approved custom image in an Azure Compute Gallery. — An approved custom image in an Azure Compute Gallery (formerly Shared Image Gallery) is the correct source because it allows the administrator to deploy a VM quickly using a preapproved, hardened operating system image. The Azure Compute Gallery provides versioning, replication, and regional distribution of custom images, ensuring that the hardened OS is readily available for rapid deployment across multiple regions. This aligns with the requirement for a preapproved image that meets security and compliance standards.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. An administrator needs to deploy a VM quickly using the same hardened operating system image that was approved by the security team. What should the administrator use as the source for the new VM?
easy
✓ A.A managed image
B.A network interface
C.A resource lock
D.A public IP address
Why A: A managed image captures a fully configured, hardened OS disk (including installed software and settings) as a reusable snapshot. When deploying a new VM, specifying this managed image as the source ensures the VM boots with the exact, security-approved OS configuration, meeting the requirement for a quick, consistent deployment.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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