The correct choice is to configure autoscale throughput with an appropriate maximum RU/s. This is because autoscale dynamically scales the provisioned throughput between 10% of the set maximum and the maximum itself based on actual demand, so for a telemetry workload with predictable traffic during business hours and near-zero traffic overnight, it directly enables Cosmos DB autoscale throughput cost reduction by eliminating the need to pay for peak capacity around the clock. On the Microsoft Azure Developer Associate AZ-204 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of balancing cost and performance for variable workloads, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly choose manual scale or serverless—but serverless lacks the predictable peak performance guarantee you need here. Remember the memory tip: “Autoscale for the bell curve—pay for the peak only when it peaks.”
AZ-204 Develop for Azure storage Practice Question
This AZ-204 practice question tests your understanding of develop for azure storage. 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.
A Cosmos DB workload for telemetry events has predictable traffic during business hours and almost no traffic overnight. The team wants to reduce cost while keeping performance during peak hours. What should be configured?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Autoscale throughput with an appropriate maximum RU/s
Autoscale throughput (option B) is correct because it dynamically scales the provisioned RU/s between 10% of the configured maximum and the maximum itself based on actual demand. For a workload with predictable peak traffic during business hours and near-zero traffic overnight, autoscale eliminates the cost of provisioning for peak capacity 24/7 while ensuring performance is not throttled during high-demand periods. This directly addresses the cost-reduction goal without sacrificing peak-hour performance.
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.
✗
Analytical store only
Why it's wrong here
Analytical store supports Synapse analytics and does not scale transactional RU/s.
✓
Autoscale throughput with an appropriate maximum RU/s
Why this is correct
Autoscale adjusts provisioned throughput within a range, reducing manual management and matching predictable peaks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Manual throughput set permanently to peak RU/s
Why it's wrong here
Keeping peak throughput all day wastes cost during idle periods.
✗
Disable indexing entirely
Why it's wrong here
Disabling indexing may break queries and is not the main scaling control.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'autoscale' with 'manual throughput' and assume manual throughput set to peak is the safest choice, but they overlook the cost of idle capacity; Microsoft often tests the understanding that autoscale is the only option that dynamically matches cost to actual usage while preserving peak performance.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Autoscale in Cosmos DB uses a 'scale-to-zero' model where the system can drop to 10% of the configured maximum RU/s (e.g., 400 RU/s for a 4,000 max) during idle periods, and it scales up instantly (within seconds) as traffic increases, without requiring manual intervention or pre-provisioning. The cost is billed per hour based on the highest RU/s used in that hour, so overnight periods with minimal traffic cost only the 10% floor. This is ideal for workloads with predictable spikes, like telemetry ingestion during business hours, where the alternative (manual throughput) would waste money on unused capacity.
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-204 question in full detail.
Develop for Azure storage — This question tests Develop for Azure storage — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Autoscale throughput with an appropriate maximum RU/s — Autoscale throughput (option B) is correct because it dynamically scales the provisioned RU/s between 10% of the configured maximum and the maximum itself based on actual demand. For a workload with predictable peak traffic during business hours and near-zero traffic overnight, autoscale eliminates the cost of provisioning for peak capacity 24/7 while ensuring performance is not throttled during high-demand periods. This directly addresses the cost-reduction goal without sacrificing peak-hour performance.
What should I do if I get this AZ-204 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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