Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) Practice Exam

In what way does Azure support scalability?

1. By automatically managing hardware resources

2. By enabling on-demand resource allocation

3. By requiring upfront capital investments

4. By providing physical servers for each customer

The correct answer is: By enabling on-demand resource allocation

Azure supports scalability primarily by enabling on-demand resource allocation. This allows organizations to adjust their computing resources based on current needs without the need for extensive planning or upfront investment. For instance, if an application experiences a sudden increase in user traffic, Azure can automatically allocate additional resources to handle the increased demand, ensuring optimal performance without interruptions. Automatic resource allocation is key in cloud environments, as it supports both vertical scaling (adding more power to existing resources) and horizontal scaling (adding additional resources). This flexibility is a significant advantage over traditional on-premises infrastructure where the capacity must often be planned and provisioned in advance, leading to inefficiencies and potentially underutilized resources. The other options do not embody the same level of support for scalability. Automatic management of hardware resources generally relates to maintenance but does not specifically address how resources can be scaled in response to demand. Requiring upfront capital investments contradicts the essence of cloud scalability focused on pay-as-you-go models. Lastly, providing physical servers for each customer would limit scalability, as it typically involves fixed resources rather than dynamic adjustments based on demand.