Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure (AZ-204) Practice Exam

What is the most effective approach for Tailwind Traders to ensure the deployment of only cost-effective virtual machine SKU sizes?

1. Create a policy in Azure Policy that specifies the allowed SKU sizes.

2. Periodically inspect the deployment manually to see which SKU sizes are used.

3. Create an Azure RBAC role that defines the allowed virtual machine SKU sizes.

4. Use a cloud management platform to analyze SKU costs.

The correct answer is: Create a policy in Azure Policy that specifies the allowed SKU sizes.

Creating a policy in Azure Policy that specifies the allowed SKU sizes is the most effective approach for ensuring that only cost-effective virtual machine sizes are deployed. Azure Policy enables organizations to define specific rules and effects on resources to enforce governance at scale. By implementing a policy that restricts the SKUs to a predefined set of cost-effective options, Tailwind Traders can automatically prevent the deployment of any VM sizes that do not meet their cost requirements. This proactive approach allows for real-time enforcement, meaning that any attempts to deploy SKUs that are not compliant with the specified policy will be rejected. Additionally, Azure Policy can be applied at various scopes, such as the management group, subscription, or resource group levels, providing flexibility in governance. While other options, such as manually inspecting deployments or using a cloud management platform for analysis, may provide some level of oversight, they rely on regular human intervention or external tools, which are inherently less reliable and may not provide immediate enforcement. Creating an Azure RBAC role could control who has the permissions to deploy VMs but would not inherently limit the SKU sizes themselves. In this context, a policy specifically designed to restrict SKU sizes offers a comprehensive solution to manage costs effectively.