- A
A single large virtual machine
Why wrong: A single VM can be resized, but it cannot automatically add more identical instances to handle changing traffic. It also creates a larger single point of failure. This does not meet the requirement for elastic scale-out and scale-in behavior.
- B
A virtual machine scale set
A virtual machine scale set is designed for deploying and managing multiple identical VMs as a group. It supports autoscaling rules so Azure can add or remove instances based on metrics such as CPU usage or scheduled demand. This is the best fit for a stateless web workload with changing traffic.
- C
An availability set
Why wrong: An availability set improves VM placement for availability, but it does not automatically scale the number of instances. It helps with resilience, not elastic capacity management. You would still need to add or remove VMs manually.
- D
A managed image
Why wrong: A managed image is used as a source for creating new VMs. It does not by itself provide autoscaling, traffic-based instance management, or a runtime platform for handling web traffic. It is part of the deployment process, not the scaling solution.
AZ-104 Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of deploy and manage azure compute. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company hosts a stateless web application behind a load balancer. Traffic increases during the day and drops at night. The team wants Azure to automatically add or remove identical VM instances based on demand. What should the administrator deploy?
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
A virtual machine scale set
A virtual machine scale set (VMSS) is the correct choice because it automatically manages a group of identical, load-balanced VMs and can scale out (add VMs) or scale in (remove VMs) based on demand metrics like CPU usage or a schedule. This matches the requirement for a stateless web application with variable traffic, as VMSS integrates with Azure Load Balancer or Application Gateway and supports autoscale rules to handle daytime spikes and nighttime drops without manual intervention.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
A single large virtual machine
Why it's wrong here
A single VM can be resized, but it cannot automatically add more identical instances to handle changing traffic. It also creates a larger single point of failure. This does not meet the requirement for elastic scale-out and scale-in behavior.
- ✓
A virtual machine scale set
Why this is correct
A virtual machine scale set is designed for deploying and managing multiple identical VMs as a group. It supports autoscaling rules so Azure can add or remove instances based on metrics such as CPU usage or scheduled demand. This is the best fit for a stateless web workload with changing traffic.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
An availability set
Why it's wrong here
An availability set improves VM placement for availability, but it does not automatically scale the number of instances. It helps with resilience, not elastic capacity management. You would still need to add or remove VMs manually.
- ✗
A managed image
Why it's wrong here
A managed image is used as a source for creating new VMs. It does not by itself provide autoscaling, traffic-based instance management, or a runtime platform for handling web traffic. It is part of the deployment process, not the scaling solution.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse an availability set (which provides high availability) with a scale set (which provides elasticity), leading them to pick Option C because they think 'automatic addition/removal' means fault tolerance, not scaling.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, VMSS uses an autoscale engine that evaluates metrics (e.g., CPU > 75% for 5 minutes) against scale-out/in rules defined in JSON or ARM templates, and it leverages the Azure Fabric Controller to provision new VMs from a specified image in parallel. A subtle behavior is that VMSS supports both autoscale based on metrics and scheduled autoscale (e.g., scale out at 8 AM, scale in at 10 PM), which is ideal for predictable daily traffic patterns. In a real-world scenario, if the web app uses session state, VMSS would require an external cache like Azure Redis because VMs are stateless and can be terminated at any time during scale-in.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Deploy and Manage Azure Compute — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Deploy and Manage Azure Compute practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All AZ-104 questions
1,170 questions across all exam domains
- →
AZ-104 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
AZ-104 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related AZ-104 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Manage Azure Identities and Governance practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Manage Azure Identities and Governance.
Implement and Manage Storage practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Implement and Manage Storage.
Deploy and Manage Azure Compute practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Deploy and Manage Azure Compute.
Implement and Manage Virtual Networking practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Implement and Manage Virtual Networking.
Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources.
AZ-104 Azure RBAC practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 Azure RBAC.
AZ-104 storage account practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 storage account.
AZ-104 virtual network practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 virtual network.
AZ-104 NSG practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 NSG.
AZ-104 Azure Monitor practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 Azure Monitor.
AZ-104 backup practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 backup.
AZ-104 managed identity practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 managed identity.
Practice this exam
Start a free AZ-104 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-104 question test?
Deploy and Manage Azure Compute — This question tests Deploy and Manage Azure Compute — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A virtual machine scale set — A virtual machine scale set (VMSS) is the correct choice because it automatically manages a group of identical, load-balanced VMs and can scale out (add VMs) or scale in (remove VMs) based on demand metrics like CPU usage or a schedule. This matches the requirement for a stateless web application with variable traffic, as VMSS integrates with Azure Load Balancer or Application Gateway and supports autoscale rules to handle daytime spikes and nighttime drops without manual intervention.
What should I do if I get this AZ-104 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More AZ-104 practice questions
- A storage automation service principal must upload, read, and delete blob data in one container by using Microsoft Entra…
- A subnet contains several application servers. You need to allow inbound TCP 3389 only from a management subnet named Su…
- A subscription admin wants to investigate who changed a resource and also review the platform-generated events for that…
- Based on the exhibit, which Azure feature should the administrator use to track this kind of platform-wide service issue…
- An administrator wants a script running on an Azure VM to create a resource in Azure without storing any passwords or cl…
- A PowerShell script runs on an Azure VM every night and uses Azure CLI commands to create tags and VM resources in anoth…
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This AZ-104 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-104 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.