Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources for AZ-104

Compute on AZ-104 is broad on purpose. Microsoft wants Azure administrators who can deploy repeatably, run virtual machines competently, understand where containers fit, and manage App Service without guessing through the portal.

What this domain is really testing

The exam is less about deep software delivery and more about day-two operations. Can you read deployment structure, choose a sane VM or scale model, and manage common application hosting surfaces without breaking security, availability, or recoverability?

Current weight in the study guide

Microsoft currently weights this domain at 20–25% of AZ-104. Along with identity and governance, it is one of the most important areas to stabilize before exam day.

Work this domain in order

Start with ARM, Bicep, and Deployment Workflows, then move to Virtual Machines, Disks, and Scale Sets, and finish with Containers and App Service.

Common AZ-104 traps

• treating exported templates as perfect production IaC
• missing the difference between scaling up and scaling out
• forgetting that region moves are usually migration workflows, not simple property changes
• confusing an App Service plan with the app that runs on it

If this chapter feels scattered, that is normal. The way to stabilize it is to tie each compute option back to the operating model it implies.

In this section

• Use ARM Templates and Bicep Deployment Workflows for AZ-104
  Read, modify, export, and deploy ARM templates and Bicep files with the level of fluency AZ-104 expects.
• Manage Virtual Machines, Disks, and Scale Sets for AZ-104
  Learn the VM sizing, disk, resilience, migration, and scale-set choices that appear repeatedly on AZ-104.
• Manage Containers and App Service for AZ-104
  Understand Azure Container Registry, Container Instances, Container Apps, and App Service administration for AZ-104.