This AZ-204 practice question tests your understanding of develop azure compute solutions. 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.
Your Azure App Service web app experiences slow response times during peak hours. You suspect the App Service plan is under-provisioned. You need to scale out the app automatically based on CPU usage. What should you configure?
Configure scheduled scaling in the app
Why wrong: Scheduled scaling is time-based, not metric-based.
Manually increase instance count
Why wrong: Not automatic.
Configure scale up in the App Service plan
Why wrong: Scale up increases instance size, not count.
Configure autoscale rules in the App Service plan
Autoscale can scale out based on CPU usage.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Configure autoscale rules in the App Service plan
Autoscale rules in the App Service plan allow you to automatically scale out (increase instance count) based on metrics like CPU usage. This is the correct solution because it dynamically adjusts capacity in response to demand during peak hours without manual intervention.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Configure scheduled scaling in the app
Why it's wrong here
Scheduled scaling is time-based, not metric-based.
Manually increase instance count
Why it's wrong here
Not automatic.
Configure scale up in the App Service plan
Why it's wrong here
Scale up increases instance size, not count.
Configure autoscale rules in the App Service plan
Why this is correct
Autoscale can scale out based on CPU usage.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is confusing 'scale up' (vertical scaling, changing plan tier) with 'scale out' (horizontal scaling, adding instances), and assuming scheduled scaling can react to real-time CPU spikes.
Detailed technical explanation
Azure autoscale uses Azure Monitor metrics (e.g., CPU percentage, memory, queue length) to trigger scale-out or scale-in actions. You define rules with thresholds, durations, and instance limits (min/max/default). The autoscale engine evaluates metrics every few minutes and applies cooldown periods to prevent flapping. For example, a rule could add 2 instances when CPU > 80% for 10 minutes, then remove 1 instance when CPU < 60% for 10 minutes.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Develop Azure compute solutions — This question tests Develop Azure compute solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Configure autoscale rules in the App Service plan — Autoscale rules in the App Service plan allow you to automatically scale out (increase instance count) based on metrics like CPU usage. This is the correct solution because it dynamically adjusts capacity in response to demand during peak hours without manual intervention.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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