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A company is migrating an on-premises application that uses a multi-tier architecture with a web server, application server, and a SQL Server database. The application has variable traffic patterns, with peak usage during business hours. The solution must minimize administrative overhead for scaling and patching. Which Azure services should be recommended for the application and database tiers?
- AAzure Virtual Machines for all tiers
- BAzure Container Instances for web/app tiers, Azure SQL Managed Instance for database tier
- CAzure App Service for web/app tiers, Azure SQL Database for database tier
- DAzure Functions for web/app tiers, Azure Database for MySQL for database tier
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Azure App Service for web/app tiers, Azure SQL Database for database tier
Azure App Service is a PaaS offering that provides automatic scaling and patching for web and application tiers, minimizing administrative overhead. Azure SQL Database is also a fully managed PaaS database service, handling scaling, backups, and patching automatically, making it ideal for variable traffic and reduced overhead.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Azure Virtual Machines require manual scaling and patching, increasing administrative overhead.
- B. Azure Container Instances are more for single-container execution and may not be ideal for a multi-tier application with variable traffic, and SQL Managed Instance offers more compatibility but still requires more management than Azure SQL Database.
- D. Azure Functions is serverless and event-driven, not typically suited for traditional multi-tier web/app servers, and Azure Database for MySQL is for MySQL, not SQL Server compatibility by default.
Azure PaaS Benefits
Platform as a Service (PaaS) offerings in Azure provide managed services that abstract away infrastructure management, allowing developers to focus on application code.
- Automatic scaling
- Automatic patching and updates
- Reduced operational overhead
- Built-in high availability
Memory trick: PaaS is like a personal assistant: it handles the boring stuff.