This AZ-400 practice question tests your understanding of design and implement a devops infrastructure. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 run the Azure CLI command shown in the exhibit. What is the output?
An error because the query syntax is incorrect
Why wrong: The query syntax is valid.
A table showing VM names and resource groups for VMs in eastus
The command filters by eastus and projects name and resource group.
A list of all VMs in the subscription
Why wrong: The query filters by location 'eastus'.
A list of all VMs in the westus location
Why wrong: The query filters by eastus.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
A table showing VM names and resource groups for VMs in eastus
The Azure CLI command `az vm list --query "[?location=='eastus'].{Name:name, ResourceGroup:resourceGroup}" --output table` filters virtual machines to only those in the 'eastus' location, then projects the 'name' and 'resourceGroup' properties into a table. The `--query` parameter uses JMESPath syntax, which is correct here, and the `--output table` formats the result as a table. Therefore, the output is a table showing VM names and resource groups for VMs in eastus.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
An error because the query syntax is incorrect
Why it's wrong here
The query syntax is valid.
A table showing VM names and resource groups for VMs in eastus
Why this is correct
The command filters by eastus and projects name and resource group.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
A list of all VMs in the subscription
Why it's wrong here
The query filters by location 'eastus'.
A list of all VMs in the westus location
Why it's wrong here
The query filters by eastus.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates might think the query syntax is invalid (Option A) due to unfamiliarity with JMESPath, or they might overlook the location filter and assume the command returns all VMs (Option C) or VMs in a different location (Option D).
Detailed technical explanation
The `az vm list` command retrieves all VMs in the current subscription, and the `--query` parameter leverages JMESPath, a JSON query language, to filter and shape the output. The `[?location=='eastus']` filter uses a comparison operator that is case-sensitive; Azure locations are stored in lowercase (e.g., 'eastus'), so the query works correctly. The `--output table` flag formats the result into a table using the keys from the projection as column headers, which is a common pattern for human-readable output in Azure CLI.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
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FAQ
Design and implement a DevOps infrastructure — This question tests Design and implement a DevOps infrastructure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: A table showing VM names and resource groups for VMs in eastus — The Azure CLI command `az vm list --query "[?location=='eastus'].{Name:name, ResourceGroup:resourceGroup}" --output table` filters virtual machines to only those in the 'eastus' location, then projects the 'name' and 'resourceGroup' properties into a table. The `--query` parameter uses JMESPath syntax, which is correct here, and the `--output table` formats the result as a table. Therefore, the output is a table showing VM names and resource groups for VMs in eastus.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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