Policy assignments and compliance in Azure - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Policy assignments and compliance

Define Policy Definition

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Assign Policy to Scope

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Evaluate Resources in Scope

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Check Compliance State

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Report Compliance Results

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Remediate Non-compliant Resources

This flow shows how a policy is defined, assigned to a scope, evaluated on resources, and compliance results are reported and remediated.

Execution Sample

Azure

az policy assignment create --name 'enforce-tag' --policy 'tag-policy' --scope '/subscriptions/1234'
az policy state list --assignment 'enforce-tag'

Assign a policy to a subscription scope and then check compliance state of resources under that assignment.

Process Table

Step	Action	Input	Output	Notes
1	Define Policy	Policy rule requiring 'environment' tag	Policy definition created	Policy specifies required tag on resources
2	Assign Policy	Assign 'tag-policy' to subscription '/subscriptions/1234'	Policy assignment created	Assignment links policy to scope
3	Evaluate Resources	Resources under subscription evaluated	Compliance states generated	Each resource checked for tag presence
4	Check Compliance	Compliance states collected	List of compliant and non-compliant resources	Non-compliant resources lack required tag
5	Report Results	Compliance list	Compliance report available	Report shows compliance summary
6	Remediate	Non-compliant resources identified	Remediation tasks triggered or manual fix	Fixes bring resources into compliance
7	End	All resources compliant or remediated	Policy enforcement complete	Process stops when compliance achieved

💡 All resources evaluated and compliance status reported; remediation ensures policy adherence.

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	After Step 4	After Step 6	Final
Policy Definition	None	Created with tag rule	Same	Same	Same
Policy Assignment	None	Created for subscription	Same	Same	Same
Resource Compliance States	None	None	Generated for all resources	Updated after remediation	All compliant
Compliance Report	None	None	Generated	Updated	Final report available

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we assign a policy after defining it?

Defining a policy creates the rule, but assigning it to a scope tells Azure where to enforce it, as shown in steps 1 and 2 of the execution_table.

What happens if a resource is non-compliant?

Non-compliant resources are identified during evaluation (step 3) and remediation is triggered (step 6) to fix them and meet policy requirements.

Does compliance check happen automatically after assignment?

Yes, after assignment (step 2), Azure evaluates resources automatically (step 3) to determine compliance status.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, at which step are resources evaluated for compliance?

A Step 4

B Step 2

C Step 3

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Check the 'Action' column for 'Evaluate Resources' in the execution_table.

According to variable_tracker, when are compliance states first generated?

A After Step 2

B After Step 4

C After Step 6

D At Start

💡 Hint

Look at 'Resource Compliance States' variable changes in variable_tracker.

If a policy assignment is missing, what will happen to compliance evaluation?

A No evaluation occurs

B Resources will be evaluated anyway

C Only some resources evaluated

D Evaluation is delayed

💡 Hint

Refer to execution_table steps 1 and 2 about assignment before evaluation.

Concept Snapshot

Policy assignments link policy definitions to scopes (subscriptions, resource groups).
Azure evaluates resources in the scope against the policy.
Compliance states show if resources meet policy rules.
Non-compliant resources can be remediated.
Policy enforcement ensures governance and standards.

Full Transcript

In Azure, you first create a policy definition that describes rules like requiring tags. Then you assign this policy to a scope such as a subscription. Azure evaluates all resources in that scope to check if they follow the policy. The compliance state for each resource is recorded. Reports show which resources are compliant or not. If resources are non-compliant, remediation can fix them to meet the policy. This process helps keep your cloud environment organized and secure.