Question 493 of 1,031

Describe Azure management and governance →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is to apply a subscription-level CanNotDelete lock. This Azure feature is correct because it overrides all Azure RBAC permissions, including those of the Owner role, specifically for delete operations. By setting this lock at the subscription scope, you prevent the accidental deletion of the entire subscription or any resource within it, while still allowing authorized users to modify settings and create new resources—exactly meeting the security team’s requirement. On the AZ-900 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how resource locks differ from RBAC: locks are a higher-priority safeguard that apply universally, regardless of role assignments. A common trap is confusing locks with Azure Policy or RBAC roles; remember that locks only block delete or read actions, not configuration changes. For a memory tip, think of the lock as a “break glass” override: it’s the only way to stop even an Owner from deleting the whole subscription, so picture a padlock on the subscription’s “delete” button.

AZ-900 Describe Azure management and governance Practice Question

This AZ-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe azure management and governance. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 manages a production Azure subscription that contains critical resources. The security team wants to prevent any user, including users with the Owner role, from accidentally deleting the entire subscription or any resource within it. The team still wants authorized users to be able to modify settings and create new resources. Which Azure feature should the team use?

Question 1mediummultiple choice

Full question →

A
Create a custom RBAC role that denies the 'Microsoft.Resources/subscriptions/delete' action and assign it to the subscription.
Why wrong: A custom RBAC role can deny deletion, but users with the Owner role (or another role that includes 'Microsoft.Authorization/*' actions) can modify RBAC assignments and remove this restriction. Resource locks are a more robust solution because they apply to all users, including Owners.
B
Apply a global 'CanNotDelete' resource lock at the subscription scope.
A resource lock at the subscription scope prevents the deletion of the subscription itself and all resources within it. This lock overrides RBAC permissions, so even the Owner cannot delete the locked resources. It allows read and modification actions other than Delete. This directly meets the requirement.
C
Configure an Azure Policy that audits delete operations and sends an alert to the security team.
Why wrong: This option only generates an audit log and alerts after a deletion has been attempted or performed. It does not prevent the deletion from happening, so it does not meet the requirement to block accidental deletion.
D
Create a management group, move the subscription into it, and assign an Azure Policy definition with the 'Deny' effect targeting delete operations.
Why wrong: Management groups do not support resource locks. Additionally, Azure Policy's 'Deny' effect only blocks creation or update operations that violate the policy; it does not prevent deletion actions. This combination cannot protect against accidental deletion.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Apply a global 'CanNotDelete' resource lock at the subscription scope.

Option B is correct because a 'CanNotDelete' resource lock at the subscription scope prevents any user, including those with the Owner role, from deleting the subscription or any resource within it. This lock overrides all RBAC permissions for delete operations, while still allowing authorized users to modify settings and create new resources, meeting the security team's requirement.

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.

✗
Create a custom RBAC role that denies the 'Microsoft.Resources/subscriptions/delete' action and assign it to the subscription.
Why it's wrong here
A custom RBAC role can deny deletion, but users with the Owner role (or another role that includes 'Microsoft.Authorization/*' actions) can modify RBAC assignments and remove this restriction. Resource locks are a more robust solution because they apply to all users, including Owners.
✓
Apply a global 'CanNotDelete' resource lock at the subscription scope.
Why this is correct
A resource lock at the subscription scope prevents the deletion of the subscription itself and all resources within it. This lock overrides RBAC permissions, so even the Owner cannot delete the locked resources. It allows read and modification actions other than Delete. This directly meets the requirement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure an Azure Policy that audits delete operations and sends an alert to the security team.
Why it's wrong here
This option only generates an audit log and alerts after a deletion has been attempted or performed. It does not prevent the deletion from happening, so it does not meet the requirement to block accidental deletion.
✗
Create a management group, move the subscription into it, and assign an Azure Policy definition with the 'Deny' effect targeting delete operations.
Why it's wrong here
Management groups do not support resource locks. Additionally, Azure Policy's 'Deny' effect only blocks creation or update operations that violate the policy; it does not prevent deletion actions. This combination cannot protect against accidental deletion.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates may confuse Azure Policy with resource locks, thinking that a Deny policy can prevent deletions, but policies evaluate at resource creation or update and do not block delete operations, whereas resource locks directly block delete actions regardless of RBAC roles.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Resource locks in Azure are applied at a scope (e.g., subscription, resource group, or resource) and override RBAC permissions for the locked operations. The 'CanNotDelete' lock prevents delete operations, while the 'ReadOnly' lock prevents both delete and modify operations. Locks are inherited by all child resources, and even the Owner role cannot delete a locked resource unless the lock is first removed, which requires 'Microsoft.Authorization/locks/delete' permission.

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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.

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.

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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: Apply a global 'CanNotDelete' resource lock at the subscription scope. — Option B is correct because a 'CanNotDelete' resource lock at the subscription scope prevents any user, including those with the Owner role, from deleting the subscription or any resource within it. This lock overrides all RBAC permissions for delete operations, while still allowing authorized users to modify settings and create new resources, meeting the security team's requirement.

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.

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