Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 Practice Exam 2025 – Complete Study Resource

Microsoft recommends using managed disks for new virtual machines (VMs) due to several advantages they offer over unmanaged disks. Managed disks simplify the disk management process, as they automatically handle the storage account, making it easier for users to create and manage their VMs without needing to worry about the underlying storage infrastructure.

By using managed disks, you benefit from built-in redundancy and high availability, which enhance reliability. Furthermore, managed disks can scale more easily and are easier to recover or migrate. They also provide better performance consistency since Azure manages the storage behind the scenes, optimizing it for usage patterns.

While unmanaged disks can still be used, they require a more hands-on approach to manage the related storage accounts and their performance can vary more widely. Standard SSD and Premium SSD specifically refer to different performance tiers for managed disks, which may be recommended depending on workload requirements, but the overall best practice for new VMs is to utilize managed disks.