Which VMs Can Be Backed Up to Recovery Services Vault1?
You have an Azure subscription named Subscription1 that contains the resources shown in the following table. You create virtual machines in Subscription1 as shown in the following table. You plan to use Vault1 for the backup of as many virtual machines as possible. Which virtual machines can be backed up to Vault1? - 
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Community Votes
100% of anonymous learners picked answer D. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Community Insight
This question tests Recovery Services vault region affinity for Azure VM backup, and the common trap is assuming subscription or resource group membership allows cross-region backup.
Azure Backup requires a Recovery Services vault to be in the same Azure region as the VM it protects. Based on the tables, Vault1 can back up only the same-region VMs VM1, VM3, VMA, and VMC, making option D correct.
Many candidates choose C and assume every VM in Subscription1 can use Vault1, overlooking that a Recovery Services vault cannot back up VMs located in a different Azure region.
Community Discussion (4 comments)
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
Azure Backup binds a Recovery Services vault to the region where it is created, and an IaaS VM can be protected only by a vault in that VM's own region. In this scenario, Vault1 is in the same region as VM1, VM3, VMA, and VMC — the community discussion identifies this as West Europe. Because those four VMs match the vault's location, they are the only VMs that can be backed up to Vault1. Subscription membership and resource group placement are irrelevant to this regional constraint.Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A names only VM1, ignoring the other three same-region VMs that Vault1 can protect. Option B names VM3 and VMC but omits VM1 and VMA, which are also in the vault's region. Option C lists all six VMs, including VM2 and VMB in a different region, which a West Europe vault cannot protect. Option E includes VM1 and VM3 but wrongly excludes VMA and VMC, which are equally eligible. Only D captures the complete same-region set without adding an out-of-region VM.Community Comment Notes
As arr73 noted, "You need a vault in every Azure region that contains VMs you want to back up" and cross-region backup is unsupported. _Paul_ and ashtonez both stress that the vault must be in the same region as the VM and that "Only matters location, not the resource group". Sweden2022 likewise confirms D "as it is the same location." These comments align with the official Azure Backup region requirement and reinforce why resource group or subscription matching is a distraction.Official Reference
Exam Strategy
Before answering any Azure Backup scoping question, scan the region column of every VM and compare it to the vault's region; resource group and subscription matches are distractors. If a VM is outside the vault's region, it cannot be protected by that vault.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't VM2 and VMB be backed up to Vault1?
Because a Recovery Services vault can protect only VMs in its own Azure region; VM2 and VMB are in a different region than Vault1.
Does the resource group of VM1 affect whether Vault1 can back it up?
No. Azure Backup region affinity depends on the VM's location, not its resource group, so being in a different resource group does not block protection.
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