Your e-commerce application sends telemetry to Application Insights. You need to reduce ingestion costs while preserving the ability to detect trends in performance metrics. Which sampling type should you configure?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
Distractor review
Fixed-rate sampling
Incorrect. Fixed-rate sampling uses a constant percentage, which can either over-sample (cost) or under-sample (lose trends) during low/high volume periods.
Best answer
Adaptive sampling
Correct. Adaptive sampling dynamically adjusts to keep the telemetry volume within a budget while preserving statistical accuracy for trends.
Distractor review
Ingestion sampling
Incorrect. Ingestion sampling occurs at the server side and may drop samples arbitrarily, losing correlation and trend data.
Distractor review
Head-based sampling
Incorrect. Head-based sampling is a type of fixed-rate sampling at the SDK; it does not adapt to volume changes.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
Related practice questions
Related AZ-204 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
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Question 5
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Question 6
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-204 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Adaptive sampling — Adaptive sampling automatically adjusts the sampling rate based on the total volume of telemetry, keeping it within a default target (e.g., 5 events per second). It preserves the relative frequency of different event types, so performance trends remain visible. Fixed-rate sampling uses a constant rate but may miss peaks. Ingestion sampling happens at the server and can lose context; head-based sampling is a fixed rate at the SDK.
What should I do if I get this AZ-204 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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