AZ-104 Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of monitor and maintain azure resources. 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.
Exhibit
Monitoring requirement
- 5 Linux VMs in one resource group
- Collect CPU percentage and logical disk free space
- Keep ingestion cost as low as possible
- No application tracing is required
- Current state: No guest monitoring agent configured
Based on the exhibit, what should the administrator deploy to monitor CPU and free disk space on a small set of VMs while keeping telemetry cost low?
Monitoring requirement
- 5 Linux VMs in one resource group
- Collect CPU percentage and logical disk free space
- Keep ingestion cost as low as possible
- No application tracing is required
- Current state: No guest monitoring agent configured
A
Deploy Azure Monitor Agent and collect only the required performance counters with a data collection rule.
Azure Monitor Agent with a targeted data collection rule is the cost-aware choice because it collects only the specific performance data needed. The administrator can scope the rule to the five VMs and include just CPU and disk free space counters, avoiding broad log ingestion. This meets the monitoring requirement without paying to send unnecessary telemetry to Log Analytics.
B
Enable diagnostic settings on each VM and send all guest logs to a storage account.
Why wrong: This can create more data than needed and does not provide the cleanest per-counter collection approach for VM performance monitoring.
C
Install Application Insights on each VM and enable request tracing.
Why wrong: Application Insights is intended for application telemetry, not basic host performance counters on virtual machines.
D
Create a resource lock on each VM to preserve the current state.
Why wrong: A lock prevents changes, but it does not collect or analyze performance telemetry.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Deploy Azure Monitor Agent and collect only the required performance counters with a data collection rule.
Option A is correct because Azure Monitor Agent (AMA) is the modern, cost-effective agent for collecting performance counters like CPU and free disk space from VMs. By using a Data Collection Rule (DCR) to specify only the required counters, the administrator minimizes data ingestion volume, directly controlling telemetry costs. This approach avoids the overhead of sending all guest logs or using more expensive monitoring tools.
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.
✓
Deploy Azure Monitor Agent and collect only the required performance counters with a data collection rule.
Why this is correct
Azure Monitor Agent with a targeted data collection rule is the cost-aware choice because it collects only the specific performance data needed. The administrator can scope the rule to the five VMs and include just CPU and disk free space counters, avoiding broad log ingestion. This meets the monitoring requirement without paying to send unnecessary telemetry to Log Analytics.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable diagnostic settings on each VM and send all guest logs to a storage account.
Why it's wrong here
This can create more data than needed and does not provide the cleanest per-counter collection approach for VM performance monitoring.
✗
Install Application Insights on each VM and enable request tracing.
Why it's wrong here
Application Insights is intended for application telemetry, not basic host performance counters on virtual machines.
✗
Create a resource lock on each VM to preserve the current state.
Why it's wrong here
A lock prevents changes, but it does not collect or analyze performance telemetry.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Monitor Agent with the older Log Analytics agent or mistakenly think diagnostic settings to storage accounts are free, overlooking that storage write operations and data retention incur costs.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Monitor Agent uses the Azure Monitor Metrics pipeline to collect performance counters defined in a DCR, which can target specific VMs via Azure Arc or directly. The agent supports both Windows and Linux, and counters like \Processor(_Total)\% Processor Time and \LogicalDisk(_Total)\% Free Space are collected at configurable intervals (e.g., every 60 seconds). By default, AMA sends data to Log Analytics workspaces or Azure Monitor Metrics, with ingestion costs based on data volume; a focused DCR ensures only essential counters are collected, keeping costs low.
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
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-104 question in full detail.
Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources — This question tests Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deploy Azure Monitor Agent and collect only the required performance counters with a data collection rule. — Option A is correct because Azure Monitor Agent (AMA) is the modern, cost-effective agent for collecting performance counters like CPU and free disk space from VMs. By using a Data Collection Rule (DCR) to specify only the required counters, the administrator minimizes data ingestion volume, directly controlling telemetry costs. This approach avoids the overhead of sending all guest logs or using more expensive monitoring tools.
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.
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Question Discussion
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