AZ-400 Practice Question: Design and implement build and release pipelines
You are configuring a release pipeline that deploys to multiple environments (dev, test, prod). You want to ensure that the same build artifact is deployed to each environment without rebuilding. Which type of trigger should you use for the release pipeline?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is that candidates may confuse the build pipeline's CI trigger (which does rebuild code on every commit) with a release pipeline's continuous deployment trigger (which does not rebuild; it deploys the artifact produced by the specified build). For ensuring the same artifact across multiple environments, the build completion trigger is the correct choice because it is directly tied to a specific build pipeline completion.
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
✓
Build completion trigger
A build completion trigger ensures that the release pipeline is initiated only after a specific build pipeline completes, allowing the same build artifact to be deployed across multiple environments without rebuilding. This trigger is ideal for multi-environment release pipelines where consistency of the artifact is critical, as it decouples the build from the release and promotes the identical binary through dev, test, and prod.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Pull request trigger
Why it's wrong here
A pull request trigger initiates a build pipeline to validate code changes in a PR branch; it does not trigger a release pipeline. Release pipelines are not bound to PR events, so this trigger cannot start the deployment after a completed build.
- ✗
Continuous integration (CI) trigger
Why it's wrong here
A continuous integration trigger fires a build when code is pushed to a branch, producing a build artifact but not automatically starting a release. In Azure DevOps, the release pipeline requires a separate trigger, such as a build completion trigger, to consume that artifact and deploy.
- ✗
Scheduled trigger
Why it's wrong here
A scheduled trigger runs the release pipeline at predefined calendar times, independent of whether a new build artifact has been produced. It does not respond to the completion of a build, so it cannot ensure that the deployment uses the latest build output.
- ✓
Build completion trigger
Why this is correct
A build completion trigger starts the release pipeline after a build completes, using the same artifact.
Visual reference
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Related to this question
Learn chapter
Designing a Build Pipeline
Key term
Pipeline
A pipeline is an automated series of steps that takes code from development to production, ensuring quality and speed.
Key term
Artifact
An artifact is any file or package produced during the software development process that is used to deploy, test, or run an application.
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