A company uses Azure Policy to enforce that all virtual machines must have the Azure Monitor agent extension installed. The policy is assigned to a subscription and uses the 'DeployIfNotExists' effect, which automatically installs the agent on new VMs. However, the security team notices that several existing VMs are non-compliant because they were provisioned before the policy was assigned. The team wants to automatically make these existing VMs compliant without manual intervention. What should the team do?
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.
Best answer
Create a remediation task for the policy assignment.
Correct: A remediation task automatically scans existing resources and applies the 'DeployIfNotExists' effect to bring them into compliance. This is the intended mechanism for remediating non-compliant resources that existed before the policy was assigned.
Distractor review
Change the policy effect to 'Deny'.
Incorrect: Changing the effect to 'Deny' would block creation of non-compliant new VMs but would not remediate existing non-compliant VMs. It does not deploy the agent automatically.
Distractor review
Assign the policy at the management group scope.
Incorrect: Changing the assignment scope to a management group does not trigger remediation of existing resources. It only expands the group of subscriptions and resource groups where the policy is applied to new resources.
Distractor review
Use Azure Automation Update Management.
Incorrect: Azure Automation Update Management is designed to manage operating system updates and patches, not to deploy extensions or enforce Azure Policy compliance. It does not install the Azure Monitor agent.
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: Create a remediation task for the policy assignment. — Azure Policy with the 'DeployIfNotExists' effect evaluates compliance and can deploy resources (like extensions) to non-compliant resources. For existing resources that were created before the policy assignment, you must trigger a remediation task. A remediation task scans the scope and applies the 'DeployIfNotExists' effect to all non-compliant resources, automatically deploying the required extensions. The other options do not achieve automatic remediation of existing VMs for this scenario.
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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