AZ-104 Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Practice Question
An application on an Azure VM has outgrown its current CPU and memory. The administrator wants to increase compute capacity without rebuilding the application or changing the VM image. What should be done?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse scaling compute resources with adding storage or improving availability, leading them to select options like attaching a data disk or moving to an availability set, which do not address CPU/memory constraints.
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 virtual machine to a larger size
Resizing the VM to a larger size (Option A) directly increases the CPU and memory resources allocated to the VM without requiring any changes to the application or the underlying OS disk image. Azure allows you to change the VM size as long as the new size is available in the current hardware cluster and the VM is deallocated (stopped) first. This is the simplest and most appropriate method to scale up compute capacity while preserving the existing configuration and data.
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 virtual machine to a larger size
Why this is correct
Resizing the VM changes the amount of CPU, memory, and sometimes other capabilities assigned to the existing machine. This is the correct operational fix when the application needs more compute resources but does not need a new image or rebuild. It keeps the same VM and operating system while giving it more capacity. For an easy Azure administration scenario, this is the direct answer to a performance-capacity problem.
- ✗
Create a new snapshot of the OS disk
Why it's wrong here
A snapshot is a point-in-time, read-only copy of the OS or data disk used for backup, disaster recovery, or creating a new disk/VM from that state. It operates entirely at the storage tier and does not modify the VM's hardware profile, so the current vCPU count and memory allocation remain exactly the same. The only way to get more compute via a snapshot would be to build a new, larger VM from it, which is a rebuild, not a resize of the existing instance.
- ✗
Move the VM to an availability set
Why it's wrong here
An availability set is a logical grouping that places VMs across different fault domains and update domains to protect against hardware failures and planned maintenance. Moving a VM into an availability set focuses on high availability and reduces downtime risk, but it does not provision additional vCPUs, RAM, or any other compute resources. The VM's size/SKU stays unchanged, and the CPU bottleneck persists exactly as before.
- ✗
Attach a data disk
Why it's wrong here
Attaching a data disk adds persistent block storage, which increases available disk capacity and potentially disk throughput if you select a premium or Ultra disk tier. That additional storage is managed independently of the compute SKU, so it cannot increase the VM's vCPU count or memory ceiling defined by the selected VM size. Since the stated problem is CPU exhaustion, a data disk does not address the compute bottleneck and may even be an unnecessary cost.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 1,049 original AZ-104 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more way 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. An application on an Azure VM needs more CPU and memory. The administrator wants to keep the same OS disk and installed apps, without redeploying the server. What should be done?
easy- ✓ A.Resize the VM to a larger size
- B.Reimage the VM
- C.Move the VM into a different availability zone
- D.Create a new storage account
Why A: Resizing the VM (Option A) allows you to change the VM size to a SKU with more CPU and memory while preserving the OS disk, installed applications, and all data. This operation can be performed on a stopped (deallocated) VM and does not require redeployment or reimaging, making it the correct choice for scaling up resources without disruption to the existing configuration.
JA
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.