The answer is the metric alert rule and the action group. These two components are required because the metric alert rule defines the specific condition—in this case, when average CPU usage exceeds 80% for 10 minutes—while the action group determines the notification or automated response, such as emailing an administrator or triggering a webhook. On the Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert AZ-305 exam, this tests your understanding of Azure Monitor’s core alerting architecture, often appearing in scenario-based questions where you must distinguish between the rule (the “if”) and the action (the “then”). A common trap is selecting a Log Analytics workspace or diagnostic setting, but remember that metric alerts rely solely on platform metrics, not log data. For a quick memory tip, think of the metric alert rule as the trigger and the action group as the response—together they form the complete alert pipeline.
AZ-305 Practice Question: Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design identity, governance, and monitoring 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. 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 organization uses Azure Monitor to collect metrics from Azure resources. You need to create a custom metric alert that triggers when the average CPU usage of a specific virtual machine exceeds 80% for 10 minutes. Which TWO components are required? (Choose two.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Metric alert rule
Option A is correct because an action group defines who gets notified. Option C is correct because a metric alert rule defines the condition. Option B is wrong because a Log Analytics workspace is not needed for metrics. Option D is wrong because a diagnostic setting is for sending logs, not for metrics alerts. Option E is wrong because a runbook is not required; you can use action groups to trigger automation.
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.
✓
Metric alert rule
Why this is correct
The metric alert rule defines the resource, metric, condition (avg CPU > 80%), and evaluation frequency.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Automation runbook
Why it's wrong here
A runbook is not required; you can use an action group to trigger a runbook, but it's not mandatory.
✓
Action group
Why this is correct
Action groups specify notification actions (email, SMS, webhook) when the alert fires.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Log Analytics workspace
Why it's wrong here
Metrics are stored in Azure Monitor Metrics, not in Log Analytics.
✗
Diagnostic setting
Why it's wrong here
Diagnostic settings send platform logs and metrics to other destinations, but are not required for metric alerts.
Common exam traps
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.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-305 question in full detail.
Identify which AZ-305 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions — This question tests Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Metric alert rule — Option A is correct because an action group defines who gets notified. Option C is correct because a metric alert rule defines the condition. Option B is wrong because a Log Analytics workspace is not needed for metrics. Option D is wrong because a diagnostic setting is for sending logs, not for metrics alerts. Option E is wrong because a runbook is not required; you can use action groups to trigger automation.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?
Identify which AZ-305 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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