Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A company uses Azure Policy to govern its Azure environment. The governance team wants to enforce that all virtual machines (VMs) deployed in the production subscription use only approved operating system images from a specific Azure Compute Gallery. However, during a transition period, the team does not want to block the creation of VMs that use non-approved images; instead, they need to identify and report on any non-compliant VMs. They also want to track compliance over time. Which Azure Policy effect should the governance team use in the policy definition to meet these 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.
A
Distractor review
Deny
The Deny effect blocks the creation or modification of non-compliant resources. This prevents the deployment of VMs with non-approved images, which contradicts the requirement to allow deployments during the transition period.
B
Best answer
Audit
The Audit effect evaluates resources for compliance and generates a warning event in the activity log, but does not block the resource operation. This allows the governance team to identify and report non-compliant VMs without interrupting the deployment process.
C
Distractor review
Append
The Append effect is used to add additional fields (such as tags) to a resource during creation or update. It does not evaluate or report on existing properties like the OS image, so it cannot identify VMs with non-approved images.
D
Distractor review
Modify
The Modify effect is used to add, update, or remove properties on a resource. While it can change configurations, it does not inherently log compliance or allow for tracking of non-approved images without additional logic. It also may alter the resource, which is not desired here.
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: Audit — The Audit effect in Azure Policy is used to evaluate resources for compliance and log warning events in the activity log, but it does not block the creation or modification of resources. This makes it suitable for scenarios where the goal is to monitor and report non-compliance without preventing the action. The Deny effect would block non-compliant deployments. The Append effect would add fields to the resource (e.g., a tag) but would not directly report compliance. The Modify effect is similar to Append but can alter existing properties. Since the team needs only identification and reporting without blocking, Audit is correct.
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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