Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies (AZ-300) Practice Exam

Which of the following best describes how load distribution is implemented during scaling out?

1. By increasing CPU power of existing machines

2. Through a single powerful server

3. Using a load balancer

4. By reallocating memory resources

The correct answer is: Using a load balancer

Load distribution during scaling out is primarily achieved using a load balancer. This mechanism allows the system to effectively manage and distribute incoming traffic across multiple servers or instances. When a workload increases, adding more servers (or instances) can enhance the ability to handle the demand. The load balancer plays a crucial role in ensuring that requests are evenly distributed, which helps to optimize resource utilization, minimize response times, and maintain high availability of the application. By directing traffic to different servers based on their current load, the load balancer prevents any single server from becoming a bottleneck. This operation is essential in a cloud environment where scalability and elasticity are crucial to accommodate variable workloads efficiently. Other options, while related to resource management, do not align with the concept of scaling out as effectively as using a load balancer. Increasing CPU power of existing machines and reallocating memory resources involves vertical scaling, where the capacity of single instances is enhanced rather than distributing load across multiple instances. Employing a single powerful server does not provide the same redundancy or load distribution capabilities, as it could still become a single point of failure. Thus, the most accurate description of load distribution during scaling out is through the use of a load balancer.