- A
Individual private IP addresses assigned directly in the NSG rule
Why wrong: This works only while the IP addresses stay the same, which does not fit frequent VM rebuilds.
- B
An application security group referenced by the NSG rule
Application security groups let you group VMs logically and reference that group in NSG rules. When the backend VMs are rebuilt or their IPs change, the rule still applies as long as the NICs remain members of the ASG, which reduces manual maintenance.
- C
A service endpoint enabled on the subnet
Why wrong: Service endpoints are for secure access to supported Azure services, not for grouping VMs in NSG rules.
- D
A load balancer inbound NAT rule on port 1433
Why wrong: Inbound NAT rules publish access to individual VMs through a load balancer, but they do not simplify NSG targeting for a backend tier.
AZ-104 Implement and Manage Virtual Networking Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage virtual networking. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A backend tier runs on three Azure VMs. The VMs are rebuilt frequently and receive new private IP addresses during redeployment. The administrator must allow inbound TCP 1433 from the app tier without rewriting the NSG rule each time the backend VMs change. What should be used?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
An application security group referenced by the NSG rule
An application security group (ASG) allows you to group VMs logically (e.g., by tier) and reference that group in a network security group (NSG) rule. When backend VMs are rebuilt and receive new private IPs, the ASG membership is automatically updated, so the NSG rule continues to apply without manual changes. This makes ASG the correct choice for dynamic environments where IP addresses change frequently.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Individual private IP addresses assigned directly in the NSG rule
Why it's wrong here
This works only while the IP addresses stay the same, which does not fit frequent VM rebuilds.
When this WOULD be correct
If the backend VMs had static private IP addresses that never change, assigning those IPs directly in an NSG rule would be a valid approach to allow inbound traffic from the app tier.
- ✓
An application security group referenced by the NSG rule
Why this is correct
Application security groups let you group VMs logically and reference that group in NSG rules. When the backend VMs are rebuilt or their IPs change, the rule still applies as long as the NICs remain members of the ASG, which reduces manual maintenance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
A service endpoint enabled on the subnet
Why it's wrong here
Service endpoints are for secure access to supported Azure services, not for grouping VMs in NSG rules.
When this WOULD be correct
A question where the backend tier is an Azure SQL Database (PaaS) instead of VMs, and the requirement is to restrict access from a specific subnet to the database. In that case, enabling a service endpoint on the subnet and creating a firewall rule for the subnet would be correct.
- ✗
A load balancer inbound NAT rule on port 1433
Why it's wrong here
Inbound NAT rules publish access to individual VMs through a load balancer, but they do not simplify NSG targeting for a backend tier.
When this WOULD be correct
A load balancer inbound NAT rule would be correct if the question required mapping a single public port to a specific backend VM for RDP/SSH access, and the backend VMs had static private IPs or the NAT rule was dynamically updated via automation.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The AZ-104 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓An application security group referenced by the NSG ruleCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Application security groups let you group VMs logically and reference that group in NSG rules. When the backend VMs are rebuilt or their IPs change, the rule still applies as long as the NICs remain members of the ASG, which reduces manual maintenance.
✗Individual private IP addresses assigned directly in the NSG ruleWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Individual private IP addresses change each time the VMs are rebuilt, requiring NSG rule updates. This does not meet the requirement to avoid rewriting rules.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the backend VMs had static private IP addresses that never change, assigning those IPs directly in an NSG rule would be a valid approach to allow inbound traffic from the app tier.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that specifying IP addresses directly is the most straightforward way to control access, overlooking the dynamic nature of the IPs in this scenario.
✗A service endpoint enabled on the subnetWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A service endpoint secures Azure service access from a subnet to a specific service (e.g., Azure SQL Database) and does not filter traffic between VMs within a VNet. It cannot be used to allow inbound TCP 1433 from the app tier to backend VMs with dynamic private IPs.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question where the backend tier is an Azure SQL Database (PaaS) instead of VMs, and the requirement is to restrict access from a specific subnet to the database. In that case, enabling a service endpoint on the subnet and creating a firewall rule for the subnet would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse service endpoints with network security groups, thinking they can filter traffic between VMs. They might also recall that service endpoints improve security for Azure services and incorrectly assume they can replace NSG rules for VM-to-VM traffic.
✗A load balancer inbound NAT rule on port 1433Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A load balancer inbound NAT rule translates a specific frontend port to a backend VM's private IP and port, but it does not solve the problem of changing private IPs because the NAT rule must be updated each time the backend VM's IP changes, which is the same rewriting issue the question aims to avoid.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A load balancer inbound NAT rule would be correct if the question required mapping a single public port to a specific backend VM for RDP/SSH access, and the backend VMs had static private IPs or the NAT rule was dynamically updated via automation.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think a load balancer can handle changing IPs automatically, but inbound NAT rules are static mappings; they confuse load balancing (which distributes traffic) with NAT rules (which target specific VMs).
Analysis generated from the official AZ-104blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse application security groups with network security groups or think that a load balancer or service endpoint can solve dynamic IP changes, but only ASGs provide a logical grouping that automatically follows VM IP changes without manual rule updates.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
An application security group is a logical container referenced by NSG rules; when a VM's NIC is associated with an ASG, the NSG rule automatically applies to all VMs in that ASG regardless of their current private IP addresses. Under the hood, Azure's software-defined networking (SDN) stack resolves the ASG to the set of NICs at runtime, enabling dynamic traffic filtering without IP-based rules. In a real-world scenario, this is critical for auto-scaling or CI/CD pipelines where VMs are frequently replaced, as it eliminates the operational overhead of updating NSG rules.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-104 question test?
Implement and Manage Virtual Networking — This question tests Implement and Manage Virtual Networking — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: An application security group referenced by the NSG rule — An application security group (ASG) allows you to group VMs logically (e.g., by tier) and reference that group in a network security group (NSG) rule. When backend VMs are rebuilt and receive new private IPs, the ASG membership is automatically updated, so the NSG rule continues to apply without manual changes. This makes ASG the correct choice for dynamic environments where IP addresses change frequently.
What should I do if I get this AZ-104 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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