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

Which action should be prioritized when deploying services in Azure to reduce costs?

1. Automatic scaling of resources

2. Specific VM size configurations

3. Adjusting usage of Reserved Instances

4. Implementing backups

The correct answer is: Adjusting usage of Reserved Instances

The priority of adjusting the usage of Reserved Instances when deploying services in Azure to reduce costs is grounded in the significant savings they can offer. Reserved Instances allow organizations to commit to using certain virtual machines for a one- or three-year term in exchange for a lower hourly rate compared to pay-as-you-go pricing. This commitment often leads to substantial cost reductions, especially for predictable workloads. By leveraging Reserved Instances, users can plan their resource usage more effectively and avoid the higher costs associated with temporary or fluctuating demand for virtual machines. This pricing model encourages long-term cost efficiency, especially in enterprise environments where resource usage patterns are more predictable. Automatic scaling of resources is beneficial for ensuring that workloads can handle varying loads efficiently, but it alone does not directly reduce costs. Specific VM size configurations can optimize performance and may lead to lower costs if the right sizes are chosen, but it requires careful assessment of workload requirements. Implementing backups, while critical for data protection, is not inherently a cost-saving measure but rather an essential operational practice. Thus, focusing on Reserved Instances is a strategic way to achieve meaningful savings when deploying Azure services.