AZ-104 Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Practice Question
A workload needs more CPU and memory than the current Azure VM size provides. The administrator wants to increase compute capacity without redeploying the application. What should be done?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse 'increasing compute capacity' with high availability features (availability set) or identity management, leading them to select options that do not address resource scaling.
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
✓
Resize the VM to a larger size
Resizing the Azure VM to a larger size (option A) directly increases the CPU and memory resources allocated to the VM without requiring redeployment of the application. Azure supports resizing VMs within the same hardware family or to a different family, provided the new size is available in the current region and the VM is not part of a VMSS with overprovisioning constraints. The resize operation updates the VM's SKU, and after a reboot, the new resources are available to the OS and applications.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Resize the VM to a larger size
Why this is correct
Resizing the VM to a larger size is the direct method to scale up because it changes the VM's SKU to a size with more vCPUs and memory while retaining the same OS disk, data disks, and installed applications. In Azure, you can initiate a resize either while the VM is running (for most size families) or after stopping/deallocating it if the target size is in a different hardware cluster. This preserves the VM identity, IP, and configuration, making it the proper way to satisfy increased CPU and memory demands.
- ✗
Move the VM into an availability set
Why it's wrong here
An availability set is a logical grouping that spreads VMs across multiple fault domains and update domains to protect against hardware failures and planned maintenance downtime. It is a resiliency construct that requires you to keep VMs within the same size family, but it neither adds vCPUs nor memory to any individual VM. Moving a VM into an availability set changes its placement and availability SLA, not its performance capacity.
When this WOULD be correct
When the question asks how to ensure high availability for a set of VMs running the same workload, such as a web application that must remain accessible during planned maintenance or hardware failures, moving them into an availability set would be the correct answer.
- ✗
Replace the VM with a snapshot
Why it's wrong here
A snapshot is a point-in-time, read-only copy of a managed disk used for backup, disk recovery, or creating a new VM from that disk. Taking a snapshot does not alter the existing VM's hardware allocation in any way, and even if you later create a new VM from the snapshot, you must select a VM size independently—the snapshot itself contributes no compute capacity. Thus, snapshotting only addresses data recovery or migration, not the need for more CPU or memory.
When this WOULD be correct
This would be correct if the question asked: 'An administrator needs to create a new VM in a different region using the current VM's configuration. What should be done?' In that case, taking a snapshot of the OS disk and creating a new VM from it is a valid approach.
- ✗
Assign a user-assigned managed identity
Why it's wrong here
A user-assigned managed identity is an Azure Active Directory identity that your VM uses to authenticate and gain authorized access to other Azure services, such as Key Vault or Storage, without storing credentials. It operates purely at the identity and security-control plane and has no effect on the VM's compute resources, vCPU count, or RAM allocation. Therefore, assigning one cannot improve the workload's processing capacity.
When this WOULD be correct
A question asks: 'You need to allow a VM to authenticate to Azure Key Vault without storing credentials in the application. What should you do?' In that context, assigning a managed identity is correct.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The AZ-104 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Resize the VM to a larger sizeCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Resizing the VM to a larger size is the direct method to scale up because it changes the VM's SKU to a size with more vCPUs and memory while retaining the same OS disk, data disks, and installed applications. In Azure, you can initiate a resize either while the VM is running (for most size families) or after stopping/deallocating it if the target size is in a different hardware cluster. This preserves the VM identity, IP, and configuration, making it the proper way to satisfy increased CPU and memory demands.
✗Move the VM into an availability setWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Moving a VM into an availability set does not increase its CPU or memory capacity; it only provides high availability by distributing VMs across fault domains and update domains.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
When the question asks how to ensure high availability for a set of VMs running the same workload, such as a web application that must remain accessible during planned maintenance or hardware failures, moving them into an availability set would be the correct answer.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse high availability with scalability, thinking that adding redundancy (availability set) can somehow increase compute capacity, or they may misremember the purpose of availability sets.
✗Replace the VM with a snapshotWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Replacing the VM with a snapshot does not increase compute capacity; it creates a new VM from a snapshot, which still requires selecting a VM size. The goal is to increase CPU and memory without redeploying, and resizing the existing VM achieves that directly.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This would be correct if the question asked: 'An administrator needs to create a new VM in a different region using the current VM's configuration. What should be done?' In that case, taking a snapshot of the OS disk and creating a new VM from it is a valid approach.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might think that replacing the VM with a snapshot is a way to 'upgrade' the VM, confusing the process of creating a new VM from a snapshot with resizing an existing one. They may overlook that resizing is simpler and avoids redeployment.
✗Assign a user-assigned managed identityWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Assigning a user-assigned managed identity does not increase CPU or memory; it only provides an identity for Azure resource authentication.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question asks: 'You need to allow a VM to authenticate to Azure Key Vault without storing credentials in the application. What should you do?' In that context, assigning a managed identity is correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse 'managed identity' with 'managed instance' or think it can manage resources to improve performance, or they may misread the question as needing to add identity-based access.
Analysis generated from the official AZ-104blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Managed Identities for Azure Resources
Key term
Region
A region is a distinct geographic location where a cloud provider operates multiple data centers that are connected by low-latency networks and provide cloud services.
Key term
VM size
VM size is the specific combination of virtual CPU cores, memory, and sometimes temporary storage that defines the capacity and performance of a virtual machine in a cloud environment.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.