1|Page
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) Exam Study
Set 2026/2027 Verified Edition ||Verified Exam!!!||
Comprehensive Cloud Computing Certification
Preparation Material
Rob is new to cloud computing and is confused by the
terms: "Vertical Scaling" and "Horizontal" scaling. Give him
a brief rundown on the differences between the two! -
Answer-*Vertical scaling*: aka "scaling up", is the process
of adding resources to increase the power of an existing
server. Some examples of vertical scaling are: *adding
more CPUs, or adding more memory*.
*Horizontal scaling*: aka "scaling out", is the process of
adding more servers that function together as one unit.
For example, *you have more than one server processing
incoming requests*
Define: Scalability as it relates to cloud computing -
Answer-You can increase or decrease the resources and
services used based upon the needs of your organization.
Define: Elasticity as it relates to cloud computing - Answer-
As your workload changes due to a spike or drop in
,2|Page
demand, a cloud computing system can compensate by
automatically adding or removing resources. (e.g. a web-
site during Black Friday Sale)
Define: redundancy as it relates to cloud computing -
Answer-If one component fails, another is available to take
its place and its workload.
Define: fault-tolerance as it relates to cloud computing -
Answer-Customers and end-users are not impacted when
a disaster occurs.
Misha the cloud computing class nerd wants to engage
you in a discussion on Economies of Scale. Start the
conversation off with an adequate definition and an
example. - Answer-Economies of scale is *the ability to do
things more efficiently or at a lower-cost per unit when
operating at a larger scale.* In other words, more money is
saved, when production rates are higher. Users also pay
less for power consumption, cooling and network
connectivity than they would with on-premises
infrastructure.
,3|Page
Compare / Contrast CapEx(Capital Expenditure) vs.
OpEx(Operational Expenditure) - Answer-•*Capital
Expenditure*: the spending of money on physical
infrastructure up front, and then deducting that expense
from your tax bill over time. CapEx is an upfront cost,
which has a value that reduces over time.
•*Operational Expenditure*: spending money on services
or products now and being billed for them now. You can
deduct this expense from your tax bill in the same year.
There's no upfront cost. You pay for a service or product
as you use it.
What is the primary benefit of CapEx? - Answer-Fixed
Costs and a predictable expense for your budget!
Companies on a tight budget will lean here.
What is the primary benefit of OpEx? - Answer-Grows if
demand is increased and shrinks accordingly. For new
companies / startups this will make lots of sense.
What are some computing services offered by a Cloud
Provider? - Answer-•*Compute power* - e.g. Servers or
web applications
•*Storage* - e.g. Files and Databases
, 4|Page
•*Networking* - e.g. secure connections between the cloud
provider and on-premises.
•*Analytics* - e.g. visual telemetry and performance data
Jim the systems admin at a fictitious company is an
absolute control freak! From the list below, choose the
most appropriate cloud solution for him:
a). Virtual Machines
b). Containers
c). Serverless compute - Answer-ANSWER: a). *Virtual
Machines.* Because he will emulate a physical system,
Jim can do whatever he likes (e.g. install software,
configure updates etc.)
Give the simplest definition of a container. - Answer-A
container is similar to a VM but it doesn't need a guest
operating system.
What is Serverless Computing? - Answer-Serverless
computing lets you run application code(e.g. functions)
without creating, configuring, or maintaining a server.
When compared to VMs and Containers, it is the lightest
and fastest deployment method.
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) Exam Study
Set 2026/2027 Verified Edition ||Verified Exam!!!||
Comprehensive Cloud Computing Certification
Preparation Material
Rob is new to cloud computing and is confused by the
terms: "Vertical Scaling" and "Horizontal" scaling. Give him
a brief rundown on the differences between the two! -
Answer-*Vertical scaling*: aka "scaling up", is the process
of adding resources to increase the power of an existing
server. Some examples of vertical scaling are: *adding
more CPUs, or adding more memory*.
*Horizontal scaling*: aka "scaling out", is the process of
adding more servers that function together as one unit.
For example, *you have more than one server processing
incoming requests*
Define: Scalability as it relates to cloud computing -
Answer-You can increase or decrease the resources and
services used based upon the needs of your organization.
Define: Elasticity as it relates to cloud computing - Answer-
As your workload changes due to a spike or drop in
,2|Page
demand, a cloud computing system can compensate by
automatically adding or removing resources. (e.g. a web-
site during Black Friday Sale)
Define: redundancy as it relates to cloud computing -
Answer-If one component fails, another is available to take
its place and its workload.
Define: fault-tolerance as it relates to cloud computing -
Answer-Customers and end-users are not impacted when
a disaster occurs.
Misha the cloud computing class nerd wants to engage
you in a discussion on Economies of Scale. Start the
conversation off with an adequate definition and an
example. - Answer-Economies of scale is *the ability to do
things more efficiently or at a lower-cost per unit when
operating at a larger scale.* In other words, more money is
saved, when production rates are higher. Users also pay
less for power consumption, cooling and network
connectivity than they would with on-premises
infrastructure.
,3|Page
Compare / Contrast CapEx(Capital Expenditure) vs.
OpEx(Operational Expenditure) - Answer-•*Capital
Expenditure*: the spending of money on physical
infrastructure up front, and then deducting that expense
from your tax bill over time. CapEx is an upfront cost,
which has a value that reduces over time.
•*Operational Expenditure*: spending money on services
or products now and being billed for them now. You can
deduct this expense from your tax bill in the same year.
There's no upfront cost. You pay for a service or product
as you use it.
What is the primary benefit of CapEx? - Answer-Fixed
Costs and a predictable expense for your budget!
Companies on a tight budget will lean here.
What is the primary benefit of OpEx? - Answer-Grows if
demand is increased and shrinks accordingly. For new
companies / startups this will make lots of sense.
What are some computing services offered by a Cloud
Provider? - Answer-•*Compute power* - e.g. Servers or
web applications
•*Storage* - e.g. Files and Databases
, 4|Page
•*Networking* - e.g. secure connections between the cloud
provider and on-premises.
•*Analytics* - e.g. visual telemetry and performance data
Jim the systems admin at a fictitious company is an
absolute control freak! From the list below, choose the
most appropriate cloud solution for him:
a). Virtual Machines
b). Containers
c). Serverless compute - Answer-ANSWER: a). *Virtual
Machines.* Because he will emulate a physical system,
Jim can do whatever he likes (e.g. install software,
configure updates etc.)
Give the simplest definition of a container. - Answer-A
container is similar to a VM but it doesn't need a guest
operating system.
What is Serverless Computing? - Answer-Serverless
computing lets you run application code(e.g. functions)
without creating, configuring, or maintaining a server.
When compared to VMs and Containers, it is the lightest
and fastest deployment method.
