- A
B-series, because burstable credits handle temporary spikes economically
Why wrong: B-series is optimized for low-cost burstable workloads, not sustained memory-heavy server workloads with a fixed sizing target.
- B
D-series, because it balances general-purpose CPU and memory
Why wrong: D-series is a good general-purpose choice, but it is less aligned to a workload that explicitly needs higher memory per vCPU.
- C
E-series, because it provides memory-optimized sizing for data-intensive workloads
E-series VMs are memory optimized, which makes them a strong fit when the workload needs more RAM relative to CPU. A server running an in-memory cache or analytics engine benefits from that higher memory footprint, and the family includes sizes that satisfy the stated minimums.
- D
F-series, because it is optimized for high CPU throughput
Why wrong: F-series is designed for compute-intensive workloads where CPU performance matters more than memory capacity.
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 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?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
E-series, because it provides memory-optimized sizing for data-intensive workloads
The E-series (specifically Ev3, Esv3, or Ebsv5) is memory-optimized, offering the highest memory-to-vCPU ratio among Azure general-purpose families. With a requirement of 64 GiB RAM and only 8 vCPUs, the workload benefits more from memory than compute, making the E-series the best fit. D-series provides balanced ratios but not the memory density needed, while F-series and B-series are compute- or burst-oriented and lack sufficient memory per vCPU.
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.
- ✗
B-series, because burstable credits handle temporary spikes economically
Why it's wrong here
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
Why it's wrong here
D-series is a good general-purpose choice, but it is less aligned to a workload that explicitly needs higher memory per vCPU.
- ✓
E-series, because it provides memory-optimized sizing for data-intensive workloads
Why this is correct
E-series VMs are memory optimized, which makes them a strong fit when the workload needs more RAM relative to CPU. A server running an in-memory cache or analytics engine benefits from that higher memory footprint, and the family includes sizes that satisfy the stated minimums.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
F-series, because it is optimized for high CPU throughput
Why it's wrong here
F-series is designed for compute-intensive workloads where CPU performance matters more than memory capacity.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates see '8 vCPUs and 64 GiB RAM' and assume a general-purpose D-series is sufficient, overlooking that the workload benefits more from memory than compute, which directly points to the memory-optimized E-series as the most cost-effective and performant choice.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure E-series VMs use Intel Xeon Platinum processors and offer up to 8 GiB of RAM per vCPU (e.g., E8s_v5 provides 8 vCPUs and 64 GiB RAM), making them ideal for in-memory analytics like SAP HANA or large Redis caches. Under the hood, memory-optimized SKUs allocate more memory channels and larger L3 cache per core, reducing latency for data-intensive operations. In real-world scenarios, choosing D-series instead would force you to select a 16-vCPU SKU (e.g., D16s_v5) to get 64 GiB RAM, doubling compute cost unnecessarily.
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: E-series, because it provides memory-optimized sizing for data-intensive workloads — The E-series (specifically Ev3, Esv3, or Ebsv5) is memory-optimized, offering the highest memory-to-vCPU ratio among Azure general-purpose families. With a requirement of 64 GiB RAM and only 8 vCPUs, the workload benefits more from memory than compute, making the E-series the best fit. D-series provides balanced ratios but not the memory density needed, while F-series and B-series are compute- or burst-oriented and lack sufficient memory per vCPU.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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 →
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.