Short Answer 
The process of deploying an Azure Virtual Machine Scale Set (VMSS) involves understanding VMSS and Availability Zones, checking regional support for these zones, and assessing Azure subscription limitations. Each of these steps is essential for ensuring optimal deployment architecture and availability.
Step 1: Understand VMSS and Availability Zones
An Azure Virtual Machine Scale Set (VMSS) allows you to deploy and manage a set of identical, auto-scaling virtual machines. Availability Zones are unique physical locations within a region that help improve service availability and fault tolerance. In this case, you’re looking to deploy VMSS1 with 8 instances, which can utilize up to 2 availability zones for better distribution and reliability.
Step 2: Check Regional Support for Availability Zones
Not all regions in Azure support availability zones, and the number of zones can vary by region. To determine if your deployment can benefit from availability zones, first ensure the region of your VMSS has them available. This is crucial because the maximum number of zones used will affect your scale set’s architecture and resilience drastically.
Step 3: Assess Azure Subscription Limitations
Your Azure subscription must also support the use of availability zones. This can affect your deployment strategy, especially when considering quota limits or operational features. Make sure to verify your subscription details and capabilities to ensure it aligns with your VMSS deployment requirements. Check through the Azure portal or documentation for precise guidelines.