- A
Azure Policy with Deny effect
Why wrong: Azure Policy with Deny effect can block the creation or modification of resources that violate compliance rules, but it does not prevent the deletion of an existing resource. It also does not inherently provide a blanket lock that protects any resource from being deleted by an Owner. This option is incorrect because the requirement is to secure an already deployed resource from deletion and modification, not to enforce compliance during deployment.
- B
Azure Blueprint with role assignment
Why wrong: Azure Blueprints are used to orchestrate the deployment of resource groups, policies, role assignments, and resources in a repeatable manner. They help maintain consistency across environments but do not themselves enforce immutability on existing resources. This option is incorrect because a Blueprint cannot prevent an Owner from deleting a resource after it is deployed.
- C
Azure Resource Manager read-only lock
A read-only lock on the storage account prevents any user, including those with Owner or Contributor roles, from deleting or modifying the resource. It still allows read operations, such as reading the backup data. This lock is the correct Azure governance feature to make a resource immutable and protect it from accidental or intentional deletion or changes.
- D
Azure role-based access control (RBAC) with Reader role
Why wrong: Assigning the Reader role to all users would prevent them from making changes, but it does not protect the storage account from an administrator who has the Owner or Contributor role. Those higher-privileged roles include permissions to delete resources. A resource lock is required to override the Owner's permissions. Therefore, RBAC alone is insufficient.
Quick Answer
The answer is an Azure Resource Manager read-only lock. This is the correct choice because a read-only lock operates at the management plane, preventing any user—even those with Contributor or Owner roles—from deleting or modifying the storage account via the Azure Resource Manager API, while still allowing read access to the data within the account through data plane operations. On the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Azure governance features like locks differ from role-based access control (RBAC), as locks override permissions for all users. A common trap is confusing read-only locks with RBAC roles; remember that locks apply to the resource itself, not to user identities. For a quick memory tip, think of the lock as a “management-plane shield” that blocks changes but lets data flow freely—like a glass display case you can look at but not touch.
AZ-900 Describe Azure management and governance Practice Question
This AZ-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe azure management and governance. 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.
A company has a critical Azure Storage account that stores immutable backups. The IT administrator wants to ensure that no one can delete or modify this storage account, even administrators with Contributor or Owner roles. The company still needs to allow read access to the data within the storage account. Which Azure governance feature should the administrator implement?
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
Azure Resource Manager read-only lock
Option C is correct because an Azure Resource Manager read-only lock prevents any user, including those with Contributor or Owner roles, from deleting or modifying the storage account while still allowing read access to the data. This lock operates at the management plane, blocking DELETE and PATCH operations via the Azure Resource Manager API, but does not affect data plane operations like reading blobs or files.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Azure Policy with Deny effect
Why it's wrong here
Azure Policy with Deny effect can block the creation or modification of resources that violate compliance rules, but it does not prevent the deletion of an existing resource. It also does not inherently provide a blanket lock that protects any resource from being deleted by an Owner. This option is incorrect because the requirement is to secure an already deployed resource from deletion and modification, not to enforce compliance during deployment.
- ✗
Azure Blueprint with role assignment
Why it's wrong here
Azure Blueprints are used to orchestrate the deployment of resource groups, policies, role assignments, and resources in a repeatable manner. They help maintain consistency across environments but do not themselves enforce immutability on existing resources. This option is incorrect because a Blueprint cannot prevent an Owner from deleting a resource after it is deployed.
- ✓
Azure Resource Manager read-only lock
Why this is correct
A read-only lock on the storage account prevents any user, including those with Owner or Contributor roles, from deleting or modifying the resource. It still allows read operations, such as reading the backup data. This lock is the correct Azure governance feature to make a resource immutable and protect it from accidental or intentional deletion or changes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Azure role-based access control (RBAC) with Reader role
Why it's wrong here
Assigning the Reader role to all users would prevent them from making changes, but it does not protect the storage account from an administrator who has the Owner or Contributor role. Those higher-privileged roles include permissions to delete resources. A resource lock is required to override the Owner's permissions. Therefore, RBAC alone is insufficient.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Policy (which enforces compliance rules) with Azure Resource Manager locks (which prevent accidental deletion or modification), or they assume RBAC alone can block privileged users, not realizing that locks override RBAC for management-plane operations.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Azure Resource Manager locks are applied at the resource or resource group scope and are evaluated before any RBAC permissions. A read-only lock sends a 'Conflict' (HTTP 409) response to any management-plane write operation (PUT, PATCH, DELETE) via the Azure Resource Manager REST API, regardless of the caller's role. This is crucial for immutable backups because even a global administrator cannot bypass the lock without first removing it, which requires explicit 'Microsoft.Authorization/locks/*' permission.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-900 question test?
Describe Azure management and governance — This question tests Describe Azure management and governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Azure Resource Manager read-only lock — Option C is correct because an Azure Resource Manager read-only lock prevents any user, including those with Contributor or Owner roles, from deleting or modifying the storage account while still allowing read access to the data. This lock operates at the management plane, blocking DELETE and PATCH operations via the Azure Resource Manager API, but does not affect data plane operations like reading blobs or files.
What should I do if I get this AZ-900 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This AZ-900 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-900 exam.
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