- A
DeployIfNotExists
Correct. DeployIfNotExists evaluates resources after creation and automatically deploys a defined resource (such as a VM extension) if the required resource is not present. It also generates compliance results, including failures.
- B
AuditIfNotExists
Why wrong: Incorrect. AuditIfNotExists would only check for the presence of the agent and mark the VM as non-compliant if missing, but it would not automatically deploy the agent. The scenario requires automatic remediation, not just auditing.
- C
Deny
Why wrong: Incorrect. The Deny effect prevents the creation of a resource that does not meet the policy condition. It would block new VMs without the agent, but it would not deploy the agent to existing VMs, nor does it provide automatic remediation for non-compliance.
- D
Modify
Why wrong: Incorrect. The Modify effect is used to add, update, or remove properties or tags on the same resource being evaluated. Deploying a VM extension is a separate resource creation, which is not handled by Modify; DeployIfNotExists is designed for deploying additional resources.
AZ-900 Describe Azure management and governance Practice Question
This AZ-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe azure management and governance. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 policy that every Azure virtual machine must have the Azure Monitor Agent installed and configured to send metrics to a central Log Analytics workspace. To enforce this requirement without relying on manual user action, the governance team wants to automatically deploy the agent to any existing or new VM that is missing it. They also need to generate a compliance report showing any VMs where the installation failed. Which Azure Policy effect should the team use to meet these requirements?
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
DeployIfNotExists
The DeployIfNotExists effect is correct because it automatically deploys the Azure Monitor Agent to any VM that does not have it, and it can trigger remediation tasks to enforce compliance. This effect also supports generating compliance reports by evaluating the deployment status and flagging VMs where the installation failed, meeting both the automatic deployment and reporting requirements without manual intervention.
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.
- ✓
DeployIfNotExists
Why this is correct
Correct. DeployIfNotExists evaluates resources after creation and automatically deploys a defined resource (such as a VM extension) if the required resource is not present. It also generates compliance results, including failures.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AuditIfNotExists
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. AuditIfNotExists would only check for the presence of the agent and mark the VM as non-compliant if missing, but it would not automatically deploy the agent. The scenario requires automatic remediation, not just auditing.
- ✗
Deny
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The Deny effect prevents the creation of a resource that does not meet the policy condition. It would block new VMs without the agent, but it would not deploy the agent to existing VMs, nor does it provide automatic remediation for non-compliance.
- ✗
Modify
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The Modify effect is used to add, update, or remove properties or tags on the same resource being evaluated. Deploying a VM extension is a separate resource creation, which is not handled by Modify; DeployIfNotExists is designed for deploying additional resources.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AuditIfNotExists with DeployIfNotExists, mistakenly thinking auditing alone can enforce deployment, but only DeployIfNotExists provides automatic remediation and compliance reporting for installation failures.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Incorrect. AuditIfNotExists would only check for the presence of the agent and mark the VM as non-compliant if missing, but it would not automatically deploy the agent. The scenario requires automatic remediation, not just auditing.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The DeployIfNotExists effect uses a policy definition with a 'deployment' template that specifies the Azure Monitor Agent extension to be installed via ARM template. Under the hood, it leverages Azure Policy's remediation task capability, which runs a deployment at scale using a managed identity, and the compliance state is evaluated based on whether the deployment succeeded or failed, allowing for detailed reporting in the Azure Policy compliance dashboard.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
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: DeployIfNotExists — The DeployIfNotExists effect is correct because it automatically deploys the Azure Monitor Agent to any VM that does not have it, and it can trigger remediation tasks to enforce compliance. This effect also supports generating compliance reports by evaluating the deployment status and flagging VMs where the installation failed, meeting both the automatic deployment and reporting requirements without manual intervention.
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.