- A
Create a log query alert that uses the Heartbeat table and the existing action group.
Why wrong: Heartbeat does not measure CPU usage, so it cannot detect this threshold condition correctly.
- B
Create one metric alert scoped to the 20 VM resources, using Percentage CPU and the shared action group.
A metric alert is the correct signal for CPU threshold monitoring, and scoping the rule to the VM resources lets Azure evaluate each VM independently while keeping a single alert definition. The action group handles the email and SMS delivery. This avoids creating 20 separate rules and prevents fleet-wide averaging from hiding one overloaded server. It is the simplest design that still evaluates each VM separately.
- C
Create one subscription-wide metric alert and average CPU across all virtual machines.
Why wrong: A subscription-wide average can hide a single hot VM because low usage elsewhere dilutes the signal.
- D
Configure diagnostic settings on each VM and use the action group for threshold processing.
Why wrong: Diagnostic settings export telemetry, but they do not evaluate conditions or generate threshold-based alerts by themselves.
Quick Answer
The answer is to create one metric alert rule scoped to all 20 VMs with a shared action group. This is correct because Azure Monitor supports a single metric alert rule that can monitor up to 20 individual VM resources simultaneously, with independent evaluation of each VM’s Percentage CPU metric. When any single VM’s average CPU exceeds 85% for 10 minutes, the alert fires independently for that VM, triggering the same action group for email and SMS—no separate rules needed. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of multi-resource metric alerts and the critical distinction between “evaluated independently” (per-resource) versus “evaluated as a combined condition” (across all resources). A common trap is assuming you need separate rules per VM or per resource group; the key is that a single rule can cover up to 20 VMs across different resource groups. Memory tip: think “one rule, twenty independent eyes”—each VM watches its own CPU, but they all share the same notification team.
AZ-104 Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of monitor and maintain azure resources. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 production subscription contains 20 virtual machines across two resource groups. Operations needs an email and SMS notification whenever any single VM's average Percentage CPU stays above 85 for 10 minutes. The alert should be managed as one rule, and evaluation must happen independently for each VM. What should the administrator configure?
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
Create one metric alert scoped to the 20 VM resources, using Percentage CPU and the shared action group.
Option B is correct because a single metric alert rule can be scoped to multiple resources (up to 20 VMs) in Azure Monitor, allowing independent evaluation of each VM's Percentage CPU metric. When the average CPU exceeds 85% for 10 minutes on any individual VM, the alert fires and triggers the shared action group to send email and SMS notifications. This meets the requirement of one rule with per-VM independent evaluation.
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.
- ✗
Create a log query alert that uses the Heartbeat table and the existing action group.
Why it's wrong here
Heartbeat does not measure CPU usage, so it cannot detect this threshold condition correctly.
- ✓
Create one metric alert scoped to the 20 VM resources, using Percentage CPU and the shared action group.
Why this is correct
A metric alert is the correct signal for CPU threshold monitoring, and scoping the rule to the VM resources lets Azure evaluate each VM independently while keeping a single alert definition. The action group handles the email and SMS delivery. This avoids creating 20 separate rules and prevents fleet-wide averaging from hiding one overloaded server. It is the simplest design that still evaluates each VM separately.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create one subscription-wide metric alert and average CPU across all virtual machines.
Why it's wrong here
A subscription-wide average can hide a single hot VM because low usage elsewhere dilutes the signal.
- ✗
Configure diagnostic settings on each VM and use the action group for threshold processing.
Why it's wrong here
Diagnostic settings export telemetry, but they do not evaluate conditions or generate threshold-based alerts by themselves.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume a single alert rule cannot monitor multiple VMs independently, leading them to choose option C (subscription-wide average) or option D (diagnostic settings), when in fact Azure Monitor supports multi-resource metric alerts with per-resource evaluation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Monitor metric alerts support multi-resource scoping for up to 20 VMs within the same region and subscription, using the 'Percentage CPU' metric with a dynamic threshold or static threshold of 85. The evaluation frequency defaults to 1-minute granularity, and the '10 minutes' condition uses the aggregation window (e.g., average over 10 minutes). Under the hood, each VM's metric time series is evaluated independently, so a single VM spike triggers the alert without affecting others — this is critical for production monitoring where individual VM health matters.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-104 question test?
Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources — This question tests Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create one metric alert scoped to the 20 VM resources, using Percentage CPU and the shared action group. — Option B is correct because a single metric alert rule can be scoped to multiple resources (up to 20 VMs) in Azure Monitor, allowing independent evaluation of each VM's Percentage CPU metric. When the average CPU exceeds 85% for 10 minutes on any individual VM, the alert fires and triggers the shared action group to send email and SMS notifications. This meets the requirement of one rule with per-VM independent evaluation.
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.
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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.
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