A company uses Azure Policy to enforce governance. They want to prevent users from creating virtual machines of the Standard_DS3_v2 SKU in their subscription, and they also want to log any attempt to create such a VM (whether successful or not) for audit purposes. What is the minimum number of Azure Policy assignments required to meet both requirements?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
Distractor review
One – assign a policy definition with the Deny effect.
A single Deny effect prevents creation but does not produce a separate compliance state for audit purposes; it only logs a denial event. The requirement explicitly asks for logging attempts for audit, which is more clearly satisfied by an Audit effect.
Distractor review
One – assign a policy definition with the Audit effect.
An Audit effect logs the attempt and shows compliance state, but it does not block the creation of the VM. The requirement also includes preventing the VM from being created.
Best answer
Two – assign one policy definition with the Deny effect and another with the Audit effect.
Assigning two policies, one with Deny and one with Audit, simultaneously blocks forbidden VM SKU creation and provides a clear compliance view of all attempts (both successful and blocked) for auditing. This is the minimum configuration to satisfy both requirements.
Distractor review
Two – assign one policy definition with the Deny effect and another with the Append effect.
The Append effect adds tags or settings but does not log attempts for audit. Combining Deny with Append still does not address the logging/audit requirement.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
- The first matching ACL entry is used.
- There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
- Check inbound versus outbound direction.
- Read the ACL from top to bottom.
- Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A developer is building a serverless application that requires integration with an on-premises SQL Server database for real-time data processing. The on-premises network is connected to Azure via a site-to-site VPN. Which Azure service would allow the function to securely access the on-premises database without exposing it to the public internet?
Question 2
A solutions architect is designing a storage solution for a large media company. The company needs to store video files that are accessed infrequently but must be retained for several years for compliance. Which two Azure storage options meet these requirements? (Select two.)
Question 3
A company deploys a multi-tier application using Azure virtual machines. The web tier VMs must be evenly distributed across two distinct data centers within an Azure region to avoid a single point of failure from an infrastructure outage. Which Azure construct should they use to meet this requirement?
Question 4
A company wants to enforce a set of security policies across all their Azure subscriptions. They have created several individual policy definitions. Which Azure construct should they use to group these policies together and assign them as a single package?
Question 5
A company deploys a line-of-business application on an Azure virtual machine. The IT team wants to ensure the application remains secure. According to the shared responsibility model, which of the following security tasks is the sole responsibility of the customer (the company)?
Question 6
A company develops a web API that runs on Azure App Service. The development team wants to deploy a new version of the API to a staging environment, run integration tests against it, and then gradually shift production traffic to the new version. If any issues are detected, they want to immediately roll back to the previous version without redeploying. Which Azure App Service feature should the team use to meet these requirements?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-900 question test?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Two – assign one policy definition with the Deny effect and another with the Audit effect. — The Deny effect blocks the creation of non-compliant resources, and the Audit effect logs the attempt and flags the resource as non-compliant without blocking it. To both block and log such attempts, the company must assign two separate policy definitions: one with the Deny effect and another with the Audit effect. A single Deny assignment logs the denial event in the activity log but does not provide the explicit compliance state in the Policy compliance dashboard for the desired audit view. A single Audit assignment only logs and does not block. The Append effect adds tags or properties but does not block or audit the creation attempt.
What should I do if I get this AZ-900 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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