A reporting server VM will run an analytics engine that uses a large in-memory cache. Required minimums are 8 vCPUs and 64 GiB of RAM, and the workload benefits more from memory than from extra compute. Which Azure VM series is the best fit?

B-series, because burstable credits handle temporary spikes economically

B-series is optimized for low-cost burstable workloads, not sustained memory-heavy server workloads with a fixed sizing target.

D-series, because it balances general-purpose CPU and memory

D-series is a good general-purpose choice, but it is less aligned to a workload that explicitly needs higher memory per vCPU.

F-series, because it is optimized for high CPU throughput

F-series is designed for compute-intensive workloads where CPU performance matters more than memory capacity.

What does this AZ-104 question test?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: E-series, because it provides memory-optimized sizing for data-intensive workloads — E-series is the best fit because the workload is explicitly memory heavy. When an application depends on a large in-memory cache or analytics data set, choosing a memory-optimized family helps avoid performance bottlenecks and paging pressure. The requirement is not about maximum CPU throughput or lowest cost, so a general-purpose or burstable family would be a weaker match. Selecting the right size family is an important provisioning decision in Azure administration. Why others are wrong: B-series is intended for light or bursty workloads and is not a good match for a steady analytics server. D-series is balanced, but the requirement points to higher memory density than general-purpose sizing. F-series emphasizes CPU performance, which does not address the stated memory-centric need.

What should I do if I get this AZ-104 question wrong?

Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.