Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A company hosts a web application on a single Azure virtual machine. Over the past month, the application's CPU utilization has consistently remained above 90%, causing slow response times. The administrator plans to modify the virtual machine's size from Standard_D2s_v3 (2 vCPUs) to Standard_D8s_v3 (8 vCPUs) to improve performance. Which scaling method does this change represent?
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.
A
Distractor review
Horizontal scaling (scaling out)
Horizontal scaling involves adding more instances (e.g., increasing the number of VMs), not increasing the capacity of a single instance. This option is incorrect because the administrator is resizing an existing VM, not adding additional VMs.
B
Best answer
Vertical scaling (scaling up)
Vertical scaling (or scaling up/down) refers to increasing or decreasing the resources (CPU, memory, etc.) of a single virtual machine or resource. This change increases the CPU capacity of the existing VM, which is a classic example of scaling up.
C
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Elastic scaling
Elastic scaling is a characteristic of cloud computing where resources automatically scale in and out based on demand, but it is not a specific method of scaling like vertical or horizontal. The scenario describes a manual change, not an automatic adjustment.
D
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Auto-scaling
Auto-scaling is a feature that automatically adjusts resources (either horizontally or vertically) based on predefined rules or metrics. This scenario describes a manual manual resizing, not an automated action, so auto-scaling does not apply.
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-900 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
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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.
Question 1
A developer is building a serverless application that requires integration with an on-premises SQL Server database for real-time data processing. The on-premises network is connected to Azure via a site-to-site VPN. Which Azure service would allow the function to securely access the on-premises database without exposing it to the public internet?
Question 2
A solutions architect is designing a storage solution for a large media company. The company needs to store video files that are accessed infrequently but must be retained for several years for compliance. Which two Azure storage options meet these requirements? (Select two.)
Question 3
A company deploys a multi-tier application using Azure virtual machines. The web tier VMs must be evenly distributed across two distinct data centers within an Azure region to avoid a single point of failure from an infrastructure outage. Which Azure construct should they use to meet this requirement?
Question 4
A company wants to enforce a set of security policies across all their Azure subscriptions. They have created several individual policy definitions. Which Azure construct should they use to group these policies together and assign them as a single package?
Question 5
A company deploys a line-of-business application on an Azure virtual machine. The IT team wants to ensure the application remains secure. According to the shared responsibility model, which of the following security tasks is the sole responsibility of the customer (the company)?
Question 6
A company develops a web API that runs on Azure App Service. The development team wants to deploy a new version of the API to a staging environment, run integration tests against it, and then gradually shift production traffic to the new version. If any issues are detected, they want to immediately roll back to the previous version without redeploying. Which Azure App Service feature should the team use to meet these requirements?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-900 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Vertical scaling (scaling up) — This question tests understanding of scaling methods, specifically vertical scaling (scaling up) versus horizontal scaling (scaling out). In cloud computing, vertical scaling means increasing the capacity of a single resource (e.g., upgrading from 2 to 8 vCPUs), while horizontal scaling means adding more instances. The scenario describes a manual change to an existing VM's size, which is vertical scaling.
What should I do if I get this AZ-900 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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