Right-sizing resources in Azure - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Understanding VM Size Impact on Cost and Performance

You have two Azure virtual machines (VMs): VM1 is Standard_D2s_v3 with 2 vCPUs and 8 GB RAM, VM2 is Standard_D4s_v3 with 4 vCPUs and 16 GB RAM. Both run the same workload, but VM2 costs roughly twice as much per hour.

Which statement best explains the right-sizing principle for these VMs?

A Always choose the VM with the highest CPU and RAM to avoid performance issues.

B Select the VM size that matches the workload needs to avoid paying for unused capacity.

C Pick the smallest VM to save costs, regardless of workload requirements.

D Use the VM with the lowest cost per hour even if it causes slow performance.

💡 Hint

Think about balancing cost and performance based on actual workload needs.

Right-sizing means choosing resources that fit the workload requirements to avoid overpaying for unused capacity or underperforming due to insufficient resources.

❓ Configuration

intermediate

Identifying Overprovisioned Azure VM Using Metrics

You monitor an Azure VM and see the following average CPU utilization over a week: 5%. Memory usage is 30%. Disk I/O and network traffic are low.

Which action best reflects right-sizing this VM?

A Downsize the VM to a smaller size to reduce costs.

B Keep the VM size unchanged as low CPU means good performance.

C Increase the VM size to handle potential spikes.

D Add more disks to improve I/O performance.

💡 Hint

Low CPU and memory usage suggest the VM might be larger than needed.

Low resource utilization indicates the VM is overprovisioned. Downsizing saves cost without impacting performance.

❓ Architecture

advanced

Designing a Scalable Azure App with Right-Sized Resources

You design an Azure web app expected to have variable traffic. You want to ensure right-sizing while maintaining performance and cost efficiency.

Which architecture best supports this goal?

A Deploy a single large VM with maximum capacity to handle peak traffic.

B Deploy multiple small VMs manually and switch between them based on traffic.

C Use Azure App Service with auto-scaling rules based on CPU and memory usage.

D Use a fixed number of medium VMs without scaling to simplify management.

💡 Hint

Consider how Azure services can automatically adjust resources based on demand.

Azure App Service with auto-scaling adjusts resources dynamically, ensuring right-sizing and cost efficiency during traffic changes.

❓ security

advanced

Security Risks of Overprovisioned Resources

What is a potential security risk of keeping overprovisioned Azure resources running unnecessarily?

A Increased attack surface due to more active resources than needed.

B Security risks are unrelated to resource sizing.

C Overprovisioned resources disable Azure Security Center alerts.

D Automatic patching will fail on larger VMs.

💡 Hint

Think about how more resources can affect exposure to threats.

More active resources mean more potential entry points for attackers, increasing the attack surface.

❓ service_behavior

expert

Effect of Right-Sizing on Azure Cost Management Reports

You right-size several Azure VMs by downsizing them after monitoring usage. After one month, what change will you most likely see in Azure Cost Management reports?

A Storage costs increase because smaller VMs use more disks.

B The cost remains the same because billing is based on VM count, not size.

C Costs increase due to additional monitoring charges for right-sizing.

D The total compute cost decreases reflecting smaller VM sizes.

💡 Hint

Consider how VM size affects billing in Azure.

Azure bills VMs based on size and usage duration. Downsizing reduces compute costs visible in cost reports.