- A
An availability set
Why wrong: An availability set improves placement for existing VMs, but it does not provide built-in autoscaling based on demand.
- B
Azure Load Balancer
Why wrong: A load balancer distributes traffic, but it does not create or remove VM instances automatically.
- C
A virtual machine scale set
A virtual machine scale set is designed for identical VM instances that can scale out and scale in automatically. It fits stateless workloads well and supports placement across fault domains in supported configurations, which helps improve resiliency while also meeting the demand-based scaling requirement.
- D
Azure App Service
Why wrong: App Service can autoscale web applications, but the question specifically requires VM instances and fault-domain-oriented VM deployment behavior.
AZ-104 Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of deploy and manage azure compute. 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 stateless API must automatically add or remove identical VM instances when CPU usage crosses thresholds. The team also wants Microsoft to distribute instances across fault domains when possible. Which service 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 provides built-in autoscaling capabilities that automatically add or remove identical VM instances based on CPU usage thresholds. VMSS also supports automatic distribution of instances across fault domains when configured with a fault domain count greater than 1, meeting the requirement for Microsoft to distribute instances across fault domains.
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.
- ✗
An availability set
Why it's wrong here
An availability set improves placement for existing VMs, but it does not provide built-in autoscaling based on demand.
- ✗
Azure Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
A load balancer distributes traffic, but it does not create or remove VM instances automatically.
- ✓
A virtual machine scale set
Why this is correct
A virtual machine scale set is designed for identical VM instances that can scale out and scale in automatically. It fits stateless workloads well and supports placement across fault domains in supported configurations, which helps improve resiliency while also meeting the demand-based scaling requirement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Azure App Service
Why it's wrong here
App Service can autoscale web applications, but the question specifically requires VM instances and fault-domain-oriented VM deployment behavior.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse an availability set with a scale set, thinking that an availability set provides autoscaling, but it only offers fault domain distribution without any automatic instance management.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, a virtual machine scale set uses an autoscale profile with rules defined via Azure Monitor metrics (e.g., CPU percentage > 75% for scale-out, < 25% for scale-in) and a fault domain count (up to 3 in most regions) that ensures VMs are spread across different physical racks to mitigate single points of failure. In a real-world scenario, a stateless API handling variable traffic can use VMSS with a load balancer frontend to automatically scale from 2 to 10 instances during peak hours, with each new VM placed in a different fault domain to maintain high availability.
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.
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Deploy and Manage Azure Compute — study guide chapter
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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 provides built-in autoscaling capabilities that automatically add or remove identical VM instances based on CPU usage thresholds. VMSS also supports automatic distribution of instances across fault domains when configured with a fault domain count greater than 1, meeting the requirement for Microsoft to distribute instances across fault domains.
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 →
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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