Preventing Concurrent Deployments to the Same On-Premises Server
Your release pipeline uses deployment groups to deploy to on-premises servers. You want to ensure that only one deployment runs at a time on each server. Which option should you configure?
Quick Answer
Setting the deployment group's queue to 'Deploy one at a time' with 'Exclusive lock' is what prevents concurrent deployments to the same on-premises server — the lock ensures each target machine processes only one deployment at a time, which matters because many on-prem servers can't safely handle parallel updates.
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse 'Deploy one at a time' with a simple queue setting, but the key is the 'Exclusive lock' option, which specifically prevents concurrent deployments to the same resource, unlike parallel deployment settings that only control the number of simultaneous runs across different targets.
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
✓
Set the deployment queue to 'Deploy one at a time' with 'Exclusive lock'.
Setting the deployment queue to 'Deploy one at a time' with 'Exclusive lock' ensures that only one deployment runs at a time on each server in the deployment group. This lock prevents concurrent deployments to the same target, which is essential for on-premises servers that cannot handle parallel updates without conflicts.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Set the deployment queue to 'Deploy one at a time' with 'Exclusive lock'.
Why this is correct
Exclusive lock ensures that only one deployment runs on each target at a time.
- ✗
Configure a pre-deployment condition that checks the current deployment status.
Why it's wrong here
Pre-deployment conditions are evaluated before the stage starts, not per-target.
- ✗
Add a manual approval step before each deployment.
Why it's wrong here
Manual approval does not prevent concurrent deployments to the same target.
- ✗
Set the deployment queue to 'Deploy all in parallel' with 'Number of parallel deployments' set to 1.
Why it's wrong here
This limits overall parallel deployments but does not lock per-target; another deployment to the same target could start.
Go deeper
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
Deployment group
A deployment group is a logical set of target machines or servers in Azure Pipelines that receive application releases during automated deployment, allowing you to manage rolling updates and release approvals across multiple environments.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on AZ-400
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Your release pipeline uses a multi-stage YAML with environments. You need to ensure that only one deployment runs at a time to a production environment to avoid conflicts. Which feature should you use?
hard- A.Use a condition to check if a previous deployment is in progress.
- B.Add a pre-deployment approval gate.
- C.Set the 'parallel' deployment option to 1.
- ✓ D.Configure an exclusive lock policy on the production environment.
Why D: An exclusive lock policy on an environment ensures that only one deployment can run at a time to that environment. When a deployment starts, it acquires a lock on the environment; subsequent deployments are queued until the lock is released. This prevents conflicts from concurrent deployments to the same production environment.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.