The correct choice is to use a scheduled job that creates a container group with a restart policy of Never and enables deletion after completion. This configuration directly addresses the requirement for a scheduled batch job ACI delete after completion, ensuring the container runs exactly once daily and incurs no idle costs because the container group is automatically removed once the job finishes. On the AZ-204 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Azure Container Instances lifecycle management and cost optimization, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly select a restart policy of OnFailure or Always, which would keep resources running. A key memory tip is to associate “Never” with “one-and-done” batch jobs, and remember that deletion after completion is the cost-saving trigger, not just stopping the container.
AZ-204 Develop Azure compute solutions Practice Question
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. 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.
You are designing a solution that uses Azure Container Instances (ACI) to run a batch job. The job must run only once a day and should not incur costs when idle. Which configuration should you use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use a scheduled job that creates a container group with restart policy Never and delete after completion
Option C is correct because Azure Container Instances (ACI) supports a restart policy of 'Never' for one-off batch jobs, and you can orchestrate the creation and deletion of the container group using a scheduled job (e.g., Azure Logic Apps, Azure Functions, or a cron-based trigger). This ensures the container runs exactly once per day and incurs no cost when idle, as the container group is deleted after completion.
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.
✗
Use Azure Kubernetes Service with a node pool that scales to zero
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: AKS still has a management cost and minimum node.
✗
Deploy a container group with a restart policy of Always
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: Always restart keeps the container running, incurring costs.
✓
Use a scheduled job that creates a container group with restart policy Never and delete after completion
Why this is correct
Correct: This runs once and stops, minimizing cost.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use Azure Container Apps with scale-to-zero minimum replicas
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: Container Apps may have a minimum billing even at zero.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse the 'restart policy' with cost management, assuming 'Always' or 'OnFailure' are acceptable, or they may overcomplicate the solution by choosing AKS or Container Apps, which introduce unnecessary complexity and cost for a simple scheduled batch job.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, ACI container groups with a restart policy of 'Never' exit immediately after the container process completes, and the container group remains in a 'Stopped' state until explicitly deleted. To avoid idle costs, you must delete the container group after the job finishes, which can be automated using Azure Logic Apps with a Recurrence trigger or Azure Functions with a timer trigger that creates the container group, monitors its completion, and then deletes it. This pattern is cost-effective because ACI billing stops when the container group is deleted, and there is no minimum charge for idle resources.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-204 question in full detail.
Develop Azure compute solutions — This question tests Develop Azure compute solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use a scheduled job that creates a container group with restart policy Never and delete after completion — Option C is correct because Azure Container Instances (ACI) supports a restart policy of 'Never' for one-off batch jobs, and you can orchestrate the creation and deletion of the container group using a scheduled job (e.g., Azure Logic Apps, Azure Functions, or a cron-based trigger). This ensures the container runs exactly once per day and incurs no cost when idle, as the container group is deleted after completion.
What should I do if I get this AZ-204 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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