Question 38 of 1,031

Describe Azure architecture and services →mediumMultiple SelectObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is Azure App Service for the web frontend and Azure SQL Database for the backend. Azure App Service is the correct PaaS choice because it provides auto-scaling based on CPU utilization while Microsoft fully manages the underlying virtual machines and operating system, eliminating administrative overhead. For the relational database tier, Azure SQL Database offers built-in high availability with a 99.99% SLA and automatic backups, meeting the requirement for a managed database without manual intervention. On the AZ-900 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of PaaS versus IaaS responsibilities—a common trap is choosing Azure Virtual Machines for the web tier, but that would require you to manage the OS and scaling manually. Remember the memory tip: “App Service auto-scales, SQL Database auto-saves,” linking the frontend’s automatic scaling to the backend’s automatic backups and high availability.

AZ-900 Describe Azure architecture and services Practice Question

This AZ-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe azure architecture and services. 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.

A company plans to migrate a multi-tier web application to Azure. The frontend web tier must automatically scale out based on CPU utilization, and Microsoft must manage the underlying virtual machines and operating system. The backend tier requires a relational database with built-in high availability and automatic backups. The company wants to minimize administrative overhead. Which two Azure services should the company use?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.

Question 1mediummulti select

Full question →

A
Azure Virtual Machines and Azure SQL Managed Instance
Azure Virtual Machines (IaaS) require the customer to manage the guest OS and scaling. SQL Managed Instance is a PaaS database but the compute tier (VMs) is not managed by Microsoft for the frontend, contradicting the requirement.
B
Azure App Service and Azure SQL Database
Azure App Service is a PaaS compute service that automatically scales based on CPU utilization and handles OS management. Azure SQL Database is a PaaS relational database with built-in high availability and automatic backups, meeting all stated needs.
C
Azure Kubernetes Service and Azure Cosmos DB
Why wrong: Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) is a managed container orchestration service, but the customer is still responsible for managing the containerized application and scaling configurations, and the OS is abstracted but not fully managed at the virtual machine level. Azure Cosmos DB is a NoSQL database, not relational.
D
Azure Functions and Azure Table Storage
Why wrong: Azure Functions is a serverless compute service that scales based on events, not CPU utilization for a web tier. Azure Table Storage is a NoSQL key-value store, not a relational database with high availability and backups.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 Virtual Machines and Azure SQL Managed Instance

Azure App Service provides a fully managed platform for web applications, automatically scaling out based on CPU utilization thresholds without requiring you to manage the underlying VMs or OS. Azure SQL Database is a fully managed relational database service that includes built-in high availability (99.99% SLA) and automatic backups, minimizing administrative overhead. Together, they satisfy both the frontend scaling and backend database requirements while Microsoft handles infrastructure management.

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.

✓
Azure Virtual Machines and Azure SQL Managed Instance
Why this is correct
Azure Virtual Machines (IaaS) require the customer to manage the guest OS and scaling. SQL Managed Instance is a PaaS database but the compute tier (VMs) is not managed by Microsoft for the frontend, contradicting the requirement.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Azure App Service and Azure SQL Database
Why this is correct
Azure App Service is a PaaS compute service that automatically scales based on CPU utilization and handles OS management. Azure SQL Database is a PaaS relational database with built-in high availability and automatic backups, meeting all stated needs.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Azure Kubernetes Service and Azure Cosmos DB
Why it's wrong here
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) is a managed container orchestration service, but the customer is still responsible for managing the containerized application and scaling configurations, and the OS is abstracted but not fully managed at the virtual machine level. Azure Cosmos DB is a NoSQL database, not relational.
✗
Azure Functions and Azure Table Storage
Why it's wrong here
Azure Functions is a serverless compute service that scales based on events, not CPU utilization for a web tier. Azure Table Storage is a NoSQL key-value store, not a relational database with high availability and backups.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure SQL Managed Instance (which is still a PaaS but with more control and overhead) with Azure SQL Database (which is fully managed with less administrative burden), or they mistakenly think Azure Kubernetes Service reduces overhead when it actually requires significant cluster management expertise.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Azure App Service uses autoscale rules based on metrics like CPU percentage (e.g., scaling out when CPU > 70% for 5 minutes) and can scale to multiple instances across availability zones. Azure SQL Database uses a tiered service model (e.g., General Purpose or Business Critical) with automatic geo-replication and point-in-time restore, leveraging SQL Server's Always On availability groups under the hood for high availability. The combination of these PaaS services eliminates the need for patching, backup management, and infrastructure provisioning, aligning with the 'minimize administrative overhead' goal.

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.

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

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

A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this AZ-900 question test?

Describe Azure architecture and services — This question tests Describe Azure architecture and services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Azure Virtual Machines and Azure SQL Managed Instance — Azure App Service provides a fully managed platform for web applications, automatically scaling out based on CPU utilization thresholds without requiring you to manage the underlying VMs or OS. Azure SQL Database is a fully managed relational database service that includes built-in high availability (99.99% SLA) and automatic backups, minimizing administrative overhead. Together, they satisfy both the frontend scaling and backend database requirements while Microsoft handles infrastructure management.

What should I do if I get this AZ-900 question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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