- A
Virtual machine scale set
A virtual machine scale set is designed for identical VM instances that can scale out and scale in based on demand. It works well for stateless applications because instances can be added or removed without needing manual reconfiguration of each server. Autoscale rules can use metrics such as CPU percentage to change capacity automatically.
- B
Availability set
Why wrong: An availability set improves resilience, but it does not automatically add or remove VM instances based on workload demand.
- C
Azure Bastion
Why wrong: Azure Bastion provides secure remote access to VMs, but it does not manage application scaling or instance count.
- D
Proximity placement group
Why wrong: A proximity placement group helps place resources close together for latency reasons, not for autoscaling behavior.
Quick Answer
The answer is Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS). This is the correct choice because VMSS natively integrates with Azure Autoscale to dynamically adjust the number of VM instances based on CPU utilization thresholds, while also supporting scheduled scaling rules that align with business hours—allowing you to add instances during peak daytime demand and remove them at night. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how VMSS differs from standalone VMs or availability sets, which lack native autoscaling and schedule-based logic. A common trap is confusing VMSS with Azure Load Balancer or App Service scaling, but remember that VMSS is specifically designed for stateless, horizontally scalable workloads that require both metric-driven and time-based scaling. Memory tip: think “VMSS = Metric + Schedule” to recall that it handles both CPU-triggered and calendar-triggered scaling in one service.
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 stateless web application must automatically add VM instances during business hours and remove them at night based on CPU usage. Which Azure service should be deployed?
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
Virtual machine scale set
Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS) are designed to automatically scale the number of VM instances in or out based on metrics like CPU usage, and they support scheduled scaling to align with business hours. This makes them the correct choice for a stateless web application that needs to add instances during business hours and remove them at night, as VMSS can integrate with Azure Autoscale to adjust capacity based on both performance metrics and time schedules.
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.
- ✓
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 based on demand. It works well for stateless applications because instances can be added or removed without needing manual reconfiguration of each server. Autoscale rules can use metrics such as CPU percentage to change capacity automatically.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Availability set
Why it's wrong here
An availability set improves resilience, but it does not automatically add or remove VM instances based on workload demand.
- ✗
Azure Bastion
Why it's wrong here
Azure Bastion provides secure remote access to VMs, but it does not manage application scaling or instance count.
- ✗
Proximity placement group
Why it's wrong here
A proximity placement group helps place resources close together for latency reasons, not for autoscaling behavior.
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 auto-scaling), leading them to select availability set when the question explicitly requires automatic scaling based on CPU and time schedules.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, VMSS uses an autoscale engine that evaluates metrics like CPU (percentage) or memory pressure against defined rules, and can also use scheduled profiles to set a specific capacity during business hours. The autoscale engine works by calling the VMSS REST API to adjust the 'sku.capacity' property, which triggers the scale-out or scale-in operation; for scale-in, the default behavior uses the 'Default' or 'NewestVM' eviction policy, which can be overridden with custom scale-in policies to control which instances are removed first.
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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Deploy and Manage Azure Compute practice questions
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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: Virtual machine scale set — Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS) are designed to automatically scale the number of VM instances in or out based on metrics like CPU usage, and they support scheduled scaling to align with business hours. This makes them the correct choice for a stateless web application that needs to add instances during business hours and remove them at night, as VMSS can integrate with Azure Autoscale to adjust capacity based on both performance metrics and time schedules.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on AZ-104
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. You need to deploy 30 identical Azure virtual machines for a web application and scale the instance count automatically based on CPU demand. Which Azure compute feature should you use?
medium- A.An availability set
- ✓ B.A Virtual Machine Scale Set
- C.A Recovery Services vault
- D.Boot diagnostics
Why B: Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS) are designed specifically to deploy and manage a group of identical, load-balanced VMs that can automatically scale in or out based on CPU demand or other metrics. This matches the requirement for 30 identical VMs and autoscaling, making B the correct choice.
Variation 2. You need to deploy 25 identical Azure virtual machines for a web application and scale the number of instances automatically based on CPU demand. Which Azure compute feature should you use?
medium- A.An availability set
- ✓ B.A Virtual Machine Scale Set
- C.A Recovery Services vault
- D.Boot diagnostics
Why B: A Virtual Machine Scale Set (VMSS) is the correct Azure compute feature because it allows you to deploy and manage a group of identical, load-balanced VMs whose number can automatically increase or decrease in response to CPU demand using autoscale rules. This directly meets the requirement for 25 identical VMs with automatic scaling based on CPU metrics.
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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