Design and implement build and release pipelines →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

AZ-400 Practice Question: Design and implement build and release pipelines

Exhibit

{
  "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
  "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
  "parameters": {
    "location": {
      "type": "string",
      "defaultValue": "[resourceGroup().location]"
    },
    "vmSize": {
      "type": "string",
      "defaultValue": "Standard_DS2_v2"
    }
  },
  "resources": [
    {
      "type": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines",
      "apiVersion": "2023-03-01",
      "name": "myVM",
      "location": "[parameters('location')]",
      "properties": {
        "hardwareProfile": {
          "vmSize": "[parameters('vmSize')]"
        },
        "osProfile": {
          "computerName": "myVM",
          "adminUsername": "azureuser",
          "adminPassword": "[parameters('adminPassword')]"
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

Refer to the exhibit. A release pipeline deploys this ARM template. The deployment fails with error: 'The template parameters 'adminPassword' is not a valid input.' What is the most likely cause?

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

✓

The parameter 'adminPassword' is not defined in the parameters section of the template.

The template references a parameter 'adminPassword' that is not defined in the parameters section. It must be declared as a parameter to be provided during deployment.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✗
The VM size is not available in the specified location.
Why it's wrong here
This option is incorrect because the failure occurs during template validation and is reported as a parameter-related error, not a SKU or capacity issue. The error message points to a missing parameter definition, not to the availability of a specific VM size. Additionally, the template itself would be considered invalid by the ARM deployment engine before any location-specific SKU validation is performed.
✓
The parameter 'adminPassword' is not defined in the parameters section of the template.
Why this is correct
In Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates, any parameter referenced within the resources section must first be declared in the parameters section of the template. This template's osProfile block references an 'adminPassword' value, but no corresponding parameter definition exists, so the ARM template validation engine rejects the template with a 'parameter not defined' error before any deployment attempt. The remedy is to add a declaration such as "adminPassword": { "type": "securestring" } to the parameters section, ensuring the reference resolves correctly.
✗
The resource group location is invalid.
Why it's wrong here
This option is incorrect because the error is clearly associated with the parameter section of the ARM template, not with the resource group's location. ARM template validation checks for missing parameter definitions independently of the target resource group's region, so an invalid location would surface as a different error, such as 'The provided location is not valid' or a location-specific policy failure. The existing note is correct and reflects that the root cause is the missing adminPassword parameter.
✗
The parameter 'adminPassword' is misspelled in the template.
Why it's wrong here
This option is incorrect because the parameter name 'adminPassword' is spelled consistently in both the osProfile section and the parameters section's potential declaration. The actual problem is that no such parameter is declared at all, not that it is misspelled; a typo would typically produce a different error about an unresolved parameter reference. Since the template is missing the parameter definition entirely, the ARM engine cannot map the osProfile value to any declared parameter, leading to the 'not defined' error.

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AZ-400 Practice Question: Design and implement build and release pipelines

Exhibit

Why each option matters

Option-by-option breakdown

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