- A
Mark the 'DbConnectionString' app setting as a deployment slot setting (sticky) so it remains bound to its slot across all swaps
Sticky settings are slot-specific. When slots swap, the code moves but sticky settings stay with the slot they were defined in. The staging slot retains its staging DbConnectionString and the production slot retains its production DbConnectionString permanently, regardless of how many swaps occur.
- B
Store the connection string in Azure Key Vault and reference it via a Key Vault reference in both slots
Why wrong: Key Vault references retrieve secrets at runtime, but the secret name or URI in the app setting still swaps with the slot unless the app setting itself is marked as sticky. The Key Vault reference does not inherently prevent the setting from swapping.
- C
Use different app setting names for each slot (e.g., 'StagingDbConnectionString' and 'ProductionDbConnectionString') and swap code manually
Why wrong: Using different names requires code changes to reference the correct setting name and breaks the clean staging/production separation. The sticky setting mechanism is the purpose-built solution — it allows the same name with slot-specific values.
- D
Disable slot swaps and use a CI/CD pipeline to deploy directly to production instead
Why wrong: Disabling slot swaps removes the warm-up and zero-downtime deployment capability. The sticky setting is a narrow, precise fix for the stated problem without eliminating the benefits of slot-based deployments.
AZ-204 Practice Question: Deployment slot sticky settings prevent database…
This AZ-204 practice question tests your understanding of develop azure compute solutions. 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. A key principle to apply: deployment slots. 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.
An App Service application uses a staging deployment slot connected to a staging database and a production slot connected to a production database. Both use an app setting called 'DbConnectionString'. After a slot swap, the production slot starts using the staging database connection string. What configuration change prevents this?
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
Mark the 'DbConnectionString' app setting as a deployment slot setting (sticky) so it remains bound to its slot across all swaps
Option A is correct because marking the 'DbConnectionString' app setting as a deployment slot setting (also called a sticky setting) ensures that the setting remains bound to its slot during a swap. When a slot swap occurs, Azure App Service automatically moves non-sticky app settings and connection strings to the target slot, but sticky settings are excluded from the swap and stay with their original slot. This prevents the production slot from accidentally picking up the staging database connection string after the swap.
Key principle: deployment slots
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Mark the 'DbConnectionString' app setting as a deployment slot setting (sticky) so it remains bound to its slot across all swaps
Why this is correct
Sticky settings are slot-specific. When slots swap, the code moves but sticky settings stay with the slot they were defined in. The staging slot retains its staging DbConnectionString and the production slot retains its production DbConnectionString permanently, regardless of how many swaps occur.
Related concept
deployment slots
- ✗
Store the connection string in Azure Key Vault and reference it via a Key Vault reference in both slots
Why it's wrong here
Key Vault references retrieve secrets at runtime, but the secret name or URI in the app setting still swaps with the slot unless the app setting itself is marked as sticky. The Key Vault reference does not inherently prevent the setting from swapping.
- ✗
Use different app setting names for each slot (e.g., 'StagingDbConnectionString' and 'ProductionDbConnectionString') and swap code manually
Why it's wrong here
Using different names requires code changes to reference the correct setting name and breaks the clean staging/production separation. The sticky setting mechanism is the purpose-built solution — it allows the same name with slot-specific values.
- ✗
Disable slot swaps and use a CI/CD pipeline to deploy directly to production instead
Why it's wrong here
Disabling slot swaps removes the warm-up and zero-downtime deployment capability. The sticky setting is a narrow, precise fix for the stated problem without eliminating the benefits of slot-based deployments.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often think Key Vault references or different naming conventions solve the swap issue, but they overlook that the fundamental problem is the setting being non-sticky and moving with the swap, which only the 'deployment slot setting' flag can prevent.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Azure App Service slot swaps work by swapping the virtual directories of the two slots, including all non-sticky app settings, connection strings, and other configuration. Sticky settings are stored in the slot's metadata and are explicitly excluded from the swap operation. This is implemented via the 'slotSticky' property in the site configuration, which can be set using the Azure portal, CLI, or ARM templates. A real-world scenario is when you have a staging slot connected to a read-replica database for testing; marking the connection string as sticky ensures that after swap, production still points to the primary database while staging continues to use the replica.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- deployment slots
- sticky settings
- slot swap behavior
- deployment slot settings
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
deployment slots
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. deployment slots Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review deployment slots, then practise related AZ-204 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-204 question test?
Develop Azure compute solutions — This question tests Develop Azure compute solutions — deployment slots.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Mark the 'DbConnectionString' app setting as a deployment slot setting (sticky) so it remains bound to its slot across all swaps — Option A is correct because marking the 'DbConnectionString' app setting as a deployment slot setting (also called a sticky setting) ensures that the setting remains bound to its slot during a swap. When a slot swap occurs, Azure App Service automatically moves non-sticky app settings and connection strings to the target slot, but sticky settings are excluded from the swap and stay with their original slot. This prevents the production slot from accidentally picking up the staging database connection string after the swap.
What should I do if I get this AZ-204 question wrong?
Review deployment slots, then practise related AZ-204 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
deployment slots
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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