- A
Azure Arc
Azure Arc enables you to project non-Azure (on-premises, multi-cloud) resources into Azure Resource Manager, allowing you to manage them with Azure tools like Azure Policy and Azure Monitor. This directly meets the requirement to manage on-premises servers without migration.
- B
Azure Stack Edge
Why wrong: Azure Stack Edge is a purpose-built hardware appliance for edge computing, data preprocessing, and running Azure services locally. It is not used to manage existing on-premises servers from Azure; rather, it deploys Azure services on-premises.
- C
Azure Site Recovery
Why wrong: Azure Site Recovery is a disaster recovery service that replicates workloads to Azure for failover. It does not provide ongoing management, policy enforcement, or monitoring for the source servers; its primary role is business continuity.
- D
Azure Policy
Why wrong: Azure Policy is a governance service that enforces rules on Azure resources. However, by itself it cannot apply to on-premises servers unless those servers are first integrated with Azure, which requires Azure Arc to make them appear as Azure resources.
Quick Answer
The answer is Azure Arc, because it extends Azure Resource Manager and the Azure management plane to on-premises servers, enabling them to be treated as Azure resources without any migration. This means you can apply Azure Policy to enforce configuration standards and use Azure Monitor for log collection and performance monitoring on servers that must remain on-premises due to regulatory compliance. On the AZ-900 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of hybrid management solutions—a common trap is confusing Azure Arc with Azure Migrate, which actually moves workloads to the cloud. Remember, Arc keeps servers where they are but brings Azure tools to them. A simple memory tip: think of Azure Arc as a "bridge" that arcs across your datacenter and Azure, letting you manage everything from one pane of glass.
AZ-900 Describe Azure management and governance Practice Question
This AZ-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe azure management and governance. 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.
A company operates a fleet of on-premises servers running legacy applications. Due to strict regulatory compliance requirements, these servers cannot be migrated to Azure. However, the IT team wants to centrally manage these servers using Azure tools, including applying Azure Policy to enforce configuration standards and using Azure Monitor for log collection and performance monitoring. The team needs to treat these on-premises servers as Azure resources without moving them. Which Azure service should the company use?
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 Arc
Azure Arc is the correct service because it extends Azure Resource Manager (ARM) and Azure management plane to on-premises servers, allowing them to be treated as Azure resources without migration. With Azure Arc, you can apply Azure Policy to enforce configuration standards and use Azure Monitor for log collection and performance monitoring on these servers, meeting the regulatory compliance requirement of keeping them on-premises.
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 Arc
Why this is correct
Azure Arc enables you to project non-Azure (on-premises, multi-cloud) resources into Azure Resource Manager, allowing you to manage them with Azure tools like Azure Policy and Azure Monitor. This directly meets the requirement to manage on-premises servers without migration.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Azure Stack Edge
Why it's wrong here
Azure Stack Edge is a purpose-built hardware appliance for edge computing, data preprocessing, and running Azure services locally. It is not used to manage existing on-premises servers from Azure; rather, it deploys Azure services on-premises.
- ✗
Azure Site Recovery
Why it's wrong here
Azure Site Recovery is a disaster recovery service that replicates workloads to Azure for failover. It does not provide ongoing management, policy enforcement, or monitoring for the source servers; its primary role is business continuity.
- ✗
Azure Policy
Why it's wrong here
Azure Policy is a governance service that enforces rules on Azure resources. However, by itself it cannot apply to on-premises servers unless those servers are first integrated with Azure, which requires Azure Arc to make them appear as Azure resources.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing Azure Arc (hybrid management) with Azure Stack Edge (edge compute appliance) or Azure Site Recovery (disaster recovery), as candidates often assume any on-premises integration requires migration or replication rather than extension of the Azure control plane.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Arc uses the Azure Connected Machine agent to register on-premises Windows or Linux servers as Azure resources in ARM, enabling them to receive Azure Policy assignments via guest configuration extensions and send logs/metrics to Azure Monitor via the Log Analytics agent or Azure Monitor Agent. Under the hood, Arc relies on a hybrid identity model using Azure AD and a managed identity for secure communication, with policy evaluation occurring through periodic compliance scans triggered by the agent.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Describe Azure management and governance — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Describe Azure management and governance practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All AZ-900 questions
1,031 questions across all exam domains
- →
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
AZ-900 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related AZ-900 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Describe cloud concepts practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to Describe cloud concepts.
Describe Azure architecture and services practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to Describe Azure architecture and services.
Describe Azure management and governance practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to Describe Azure management and governance.
AZ-900 Azure services practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to AZ-900 Azure services.
AZ-900 pricing and support practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to AZ-900 pricing and support.
AZ-900 security and compliance practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to AZ-900 security and compliance.
AZ-900 governance practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to AZ-900 governance.
Practice this exam
Start a free AZ-900 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-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 Arc — Azure Arc is the correct service because it extends Azure Resource Manager (ARM) and Azure management plane to on-premises servers, allowing them to be treated as Azure resources without migration. With Azure Arc, you can apply Azure Policy to enforce configuration standards and use Azure Monitor for log collection and performance monitoring on these servers, meeting the regulatory compliance requirement of keeping them on-premises.
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.
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 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.
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.