AZ-802 Deploy and Manage AD DS Practice Question
You plan to deploy a new domain controller as an Azure Virtual Machine (VM) to provide authentication for cloud workloads. Which THREE actions should you take to ensure the stability and supportability of the domain controller? (Each correct answer presents part of the solution.)
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
✓
Configure a static private IP address for the VM in the Azure portal.
Deploying domain controllers on Azure VMs requires specific configuration to prevent database corruption and ensure consistent identity services. This includes using a static private IP address to prevent DNS failures, placing the NTDS database on a non-caching data disk to ensure write integrity, and using a separate virtual disk rather than the OS drive.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Configure a static private IP address for the VM in the Azure portal.
Why this is correct
Azure VMs use DHCP by default, but domain controllers must have a consistent IP address to maintain DNS reliability and replication topology. Setting a static private IP address within the Azure virtual network settings ensures that the DC remains reachable at the same address after restarts or maintenance events.
- ✗
Enable Azure Disk Encryption on the OS drive.
Why it's wrong here
While Azure Disk Encryption provides security, it is not a specific requirement for the stability or supportability of an Active Directory Domain Controller on an Azure VM. Standard security practices apply, but this action does not address the core requirements for AD DS database integrity or network configuration.
- ✓
Place the NTDS database and logs on a dedicated data disk.
Why this is correct
Separating the Active Directory database and log files from the operating system drive is a best practice for performance and recovery. In Azure, this allows for better management of disk resources and ensures that the growth of the AD database does not impact the stability of the system's primary partition.
- ✗
Configure the OS drive to use Read/Write host caching.
Why it's wrong here
Host caching can cause data corruption for Active Directory because the AD database relies on unbuffered writes and forced unit access to ensure integrity. Enabling host caching on a drive containing AD components can lead to inconsistencies if the VM or host experiences an unexpected power loss or failure.
- ✓
Disable host caching on the data disk hosting the NTDS database.
Why this is correct
Disabling host caching on the disk where the NTDS.dit file resides is critical for preventing database corruption. Active Directory requires that writes are committed directly to the storage media to maintain the integrity of the Jet database, and Azure host caching can interfere with these specific write-through requirements.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
This AZ-802 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-802 exam.