Question 875 of 1,170

Deploy and Manage Azure Compute →easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The correct answer is to resize the virtual machine to a larger size. This works because Azure allows you to change the VM’s SKU to a different series or tier that offers more vCPUs and memory, directly scaling the compute capacity without altering the OS disk, installed applications, or configuration. The key technical requirement is that the VM must be deallocated (stopped) before resizing, as Azure needs to reallocate the underlying hardware resources to a cluster that supports the new size. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of compute scaling versus rebuilding—a common trap is choosing to redeploy or create a new VM, which wastes time and risks data loss. Remember the mnemonic “Stop, Swap, Start”: deallocate the VM, select the new size, then start it back up to instantly gain more CPU and memory.

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.

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?

Question 1easymultiple choice

Full question →

A
Resize the virtual machine to a larger size
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.
B
Create a new snapshot of the OS disk
Why wrong: A snapshot is for recovery or cloning, but it does not add more compute resources to the running VM.
C
Move the VM to an availability set
Why wrong: An availability set improves resilience, but it does not increase the VM's CPU or memory.
D
Attach a data disk
Why wrong: Adding a data disk increases storage capacity, not CPU or RAM for the VM.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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.

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.

✓
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.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create a new snapshot of the OS disk
Why it's wrong here
A snapshot is for recovery or cloning, but it does not add more compute resources to the running VM.
✗
Move the VM to an availability set
Why it's wrong here
An availability set improves resilience, but it does not increase the VM's CPU or memory.
✗
Attach a data disk
Why it's wrong here
Adding a data disk increases storage capacity, not CPU or RAM for the VM.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates often 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.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

When you resize a VM in Azure, the operation requires the VM to be in a deallocated state to allow the Azure fabric to reassign the VM to a different hardware node if the target size is not available on the current cluster. The VM size determines the number of vCPUs, amount of RAM, and maximum network bandwidth; for example, moving from a Standard_D2s_v3 (2 vCPUs, 8 GB RAM) to a Standard_D4s_v3 (4 vCPUs, 16 GB RAM) doubles both CPU and memory. This process does not affect the OS disk or application data, making it a non-disruptive scaling method for existing workloads.

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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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: 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.

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

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Same concept, more angles

1 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. 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.

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