Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A company runs a web application on a set of Azure virtual machines. The application experiences unpredictable spikes in user traffic. The company configures an Azure Virtual Machine Scale Set with an autoscale rule that adds virtual machines when CPU usage exceeds 75% and removes virtual machines when CPU usage drops below 30%. This ability to automatically adjust compute resources to match demand best represents which characteristic of cloud computing?
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
Best answer
Elasticity
Correct. Elasticity is the ability to automatically provision and de-provision resources as demand changes. The autoscale rule that adds and removes VMs based on CPU usage is a textbook example of elasticity.
B
Distractor review
High availability
Incorrect. High availability ensures that applications remain accessible despite failures, typically through redundant components. While autoscaling can contribute to availability, the primary focus of this scenario is on adjusting capacity to meet workload changes, not on maintaining uptime through redundancy.
C
Distractor review
Fault tolerance
Incorrect. Fault tolerance is the ability of a system to continue operating even if one or more of its components fail. The scenario describes scaling based on demand, not surviving component failures.
D
Distractor review
Disaster recovery
Incorrect. Disaster recovery involves processes and tools to restore services after a major outage or disaster, such as by failing over to a secondary region. The autoscale rule described does not address recovery from disasters.
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.
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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: Elasticity — Elasticity is the cloud computing characteristic that enables automatic scaling of resources up or down based on real-time demand. In this scenario, the autoscale rule dynamically adds or removes virtual machines in response to CPU utilization, which is a direct example of elasticity. High availability focuses on maintaining uptime through redundancy, fault tolerance is about continuing operation despite component failures, and disaster recovery involves restoring services after a catastrophic event. None of those involve automatic scaling based on demand.
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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