- A
The service connection does not have 'Website Contributor' role on the App Service.
Why wrong: The error is about downloading the artifact, not deploying. The 403 is from Azure Artifacts, not App Service.
- B
The pipeline has 'Limit job authorization scope to current project' enabled, restricting access to the artifact.
Why wrong: This setting affects pipeline access tokens, not service connections.
- C
The artifact is stored in a different Azure region than the App Service, causing a cross-region access error.
Why wrong: Azure Artifacts is region-agnostic; cross-region access is not restricted.
- D
The service principal used by the service connection lacks 'Reader' permissions on the Azure Artifacts feed.
To download artifacts from Azure Artifacts, the identity needs at least Reader role on the feed.
AZ-400 Practice Question: Design and implement build and release pipelines
This AZ-400 practice question tests your understanding of design and implement build and release pipelines. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 have a multi-stage pipeline that builds a .NET application and deploys it to Azure App Service. The build stage produces a drop artifact that is used by the deployment stage. Recently, the deployment stage started failing intermittently with a '403 Forbidden' error when trying to download the artifact. The service connection used for deployment has 'Contributor' role at the resource group level. The artifact is stored in Azure Artifacts. What is the most likely cause of the failure?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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 service principal used by the service connection lacks 'Reader' permissions on the Azure Artifacts feed.
Option B is correct because Azure Artifacts requires the 'Reader' role at the project level to read packages. The deployment stage uses a service principal that may not have the necessary permissions on the artifact feed. Option A is incorrect because the service connection is for Azure App Service, not for reading artifacts. Option C is not relevant as the error is not about pipeline permissions. Option D is incorrect because the pipeline does not need to be in the same region.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
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 service connection does not have 'Website Contributor' role on the App Service.
Why it's wrong here
The error is about downloading the artifact, not deploying. The 403 is from Azure Artifacts, not App Service.
- ✗
The pipeline has 'Limit job authorization scope to current project' enabled, restricting access to the artifact.
Why it's wrong here
This setting affects pipeline access tokens, not service connections.
- ✗
The artifact is stored in a different Azure region than the App Service, causing a cross-region access error.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Artifacts is region-agnostic; cross-region access is not restricted.
- ✓
The service principal used by the service connection lacks 'Reader' permissions on the Azure Artifacts feed.
Why this is correct
To download artifacts from Azure Artifacts, the identity needs at least Reader role on the feed.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Authentication checks who the user is.
- Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
- Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
- AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
- Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
- Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
- Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related AZ-400 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
- →
Design and implement build and release pipelines — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Design and implement build and release pipelines practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All AZ-400 questions
913 questions across all exam domains
- →
Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert AZ-400 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
AZ-400 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related AZ-400 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Configure processes and communications practice questions
Practise AZ-400 questions linked to Configure processes and communications.
Design and implement source control practice questions
Practise AZ-400 questions linked to Design and implement source control.
Design and implement build and release pipelines practice questions
Practise AZ-400 questions linked to Design and implement build and release pipelines.
Develop a security and compliance plan practice questions
Practise AZ-400 questions linked to Develop a security and compliance plan.
Implement an instrumentation strategy practice questions
Practise AZ-400 questions linked to Implement an instrumentation strategy.
Design and implement a DevOps infrastructure practice questions
Practise AZ-400 questions linked to Design and implement a DevOps infrastructure.
Design and implement a source control strategy practice questions
Practise AZ-400 questions linked to Design and implement a source control strategy.
AZ-400 fundamentals practice questions
Practise AZ-400 questions linked to AZ-400 fundamentals.
AZ-400 scenario practice questions
Practise AZ-400 questions linked to AZ-400 scenario.
AZ-400 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise AZ-400 questions linked to AZ-400 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free AZ-400 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-400 question test?
Design and implement build and release pipelines — This question tests Design and implement build and release pipelines — Authentication checks who the user is..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The service principal used by the service connection lacks 'Reader' permissions on the Azure Artifacts feed. — Option B is correct because Azure Artifacts requires the 'Reader' role at the project level to read packages. The deployment stage uses a service principal that may not have the necessary permissions on the artifact feed. Option A is incorrect because the service connection is for Azure App Service, not for reading artifacts. Option C is not relevant as the error is not about pipeline permissions. Option D is incorrect because the pipeline does not need to be in the same region.
What should I do if I get this AZ-400 question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related AZ-400 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This AZ-400 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the AZ-400 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.