- A
Azure Container Apps with scale-to-zero enabled on the HTTP ingress
Container Apps scales to zero replicas when idle. The first request after an idle period incurs a cold-start delay (typically seconds) while a replica starts. Subsequent requests in the burst are served by the running replica. Billing is consumption-based — zero replicas means zero compute cost during idle periods.
- B
Azure Kubernetes Service with the cluster autoscaler set to a minimum node count of zero
Why wrong: AKS can scale node pools to zero, but scaling a node from zero requires provisioning a new VM (1-3 minutes cold start). AKS also requires cluster management, control plane costs, and node pool configuration — not the 'no server management' profile the team wants.
- C
Azure App Service on a B1 (Basic) plan with Always On disabled
Why wrong: App Service Basic plans do not support scale-to-zero. Always On being disabled means the app shuts down after 20 minutes of idle, but the App Service plan continues running and incurring compute charges. Only Consumption (serverless) plans support true scale-to-zero, and only for Azure Functions, not containerized apps.
- D
Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets with scheduled scaling to zero instances overnight
Why wrong: Scheduled scaling sets instance count on a time schedule — it cannot respond dynamically to sporadic, unpredictable request arrival. If a burst arrives during a scheduled zero-instance window, all requests would fail until the schedule brings instances back up.
AZ-204 Practice Question: Container Apps scale-to-zero for containerized…
This AZ-204 practice question tests your understanding of develop azure compute solutions. 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. A key principle to apply: azure Container Apps. 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.
The internal API team is deploying a containerized .NET API that receives sporadic requests — sometimes none for hours, then bursts of activity. Cost is a priority. The team wants the container to stop running when idle and start automatically when a request arrives, with no server management overhead. Which Azure service is the best fit?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Azure Container Apps with scale-to-zero enabled on the HTTP ingress
Azure Container Apps with scale-to-zero enabled on the HTTP ingress is the best fit because it allows the container to scale down to zero replicas when idle, automatically stopping the container to save costs, and scales back up to handle incoming HTTP requests with no server management overhead. This serverless platform abstracts Kubernetes infrastructure, meeting the team's requirement for minimal operational burden and cost efficiency.
Key principle: Azure Container Apps
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Azure Container Apps with scale-to-zero enabled on the HTTP ingress
Why this is correct
Container Apps scales to zero replicas when idle. The first request after an idle period incurs a cold-start delay (typically seconds) while a replica starts. Subsequent requests in the burst are served by the running replica. Billing is consumption-based — zero replicas means zero compute cost during idle periods.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Azure Container Apps
- ✗
Azure Kubernetes Service with the cluster autoscaler set to a minimum node count of zero
Why it's wrong here
AKS can scale node pools to zero, but scaling a node from zero requires provisioning a new VM (1-3 minutes cold start). AKS also requires cluster management, control plane costs, and node pool configuration — not the 'no server management' profile the team wants.
- ✗
Azure App Service on a B1 (Basic) plan with Always On disabled
Why it's wrong here
App Service Basic plans do not support scale-to-zero. Always On being disabled means the app shuts down after 20 minutes of idle, but the App Service plan continues running and incurring compute charges. Only Consumption (serverless) plans support true scale-to-zero, and only for Azure Functions, not containerized apps.
- ✗
Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets with scheduled scaling to zero instances overnight
Why it's wrong here
Scheduled scaling sets instance count on a time schedule — it cannot respond dynamically to sporadic, unpredictable request arrival. If a burst arrives during a scheduled zero-instance window, all requests would fail until the schedule brings instances back up.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'scale to zero' with 'autoscaling to a minimum of zero nodes' in AKS, but AKS cannot scale to zero nodes due to system pod requirements, whereas Azure Container Apps supports scale-to-zero at the replica level without managing nodes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Container Apps uses a Kubernetes-based platform with KEDA (Kubernetes Event-Driven Autoscaling) to monitor HTTP ingress traffic; when no requests are received for a configurable idle period (default 5 minutes), the revision scales to zero replicas, and the first new request triggers a cold start that may take a few seconds. Under the hood, the HTTP ingress is handled by Envoy proxy, which reports request metrics to the autoscaler, enabling precise scale-to-zero behavior without manual intervention.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Azure Container Apps
- scale to zero
- containerized workload
- consumption-based billing
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
Azure Container Apps
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.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review azure Container Apps, then practise related AZ-204 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
- →
Develop Azure compute solutions — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Develop Azure compute solutions practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
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Microsoft Azure Developer Associate AZ-204 study guide
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-204 question test?
Develop Azure compute solutions — This question tests Develop Azure compute solutions — Azure Container Apps.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Azure Container Apps with scale-to-zero enabled on the HTTP ingress — Azure Container Apps with scale-to-zero enabled on the HTTP ingress is the best fit because it allows the container to scale down to zero replicas when idle, automatically stopping the container to save costs, and scales back up to handle incoming HTTP requests with no server management overhead. This serverless platform abstracts Kubernetes infrastructure, meeting the team's requirement for minimal operational burden and cost efficiency.
What should I do if I get this AZ-204 question wrong?
Review azure Container Apps, then practise related AZ-204 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Azure Container Apps
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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