The answer is to change the Allow-HTTPS-Admin rule to priority 100. This is correct because Azure Network Security Group (NSG) rules are processed in ascending priority order, where a lower number means higher priority. When the Deny-All-Inbound rule has a default priority of 65000 and the Allow-HTTPS-Admin rule is set to 200, the deny rule is evaluated first due to its lower number, blocking all traffic including the intended HTTPS traffic from the admin workstation. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of NSG rule evaluation logic, often appearing as a troubleshooting question where a seemingly correct allow rule is overridden by a deny rule with a lower priority number. A common trap is assuming that allow rules automatically take precedence over deny rules, but in Azure, the rule with the lowest priority number wins regardless of action. Remember the mnemonic: "Lower number, higher power" — to let traffic through, your allow rule must have a smaller priority number than any conflicting deny rule.
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.
Exhibit
Inbound NSG rules on AppSubnet:
Priority 200 Deny-All-Inbound Any Any Any Any Deny
Priority 250 Allow-HTTPS-Admin TCP 203.0.113.20/32 Any 443 Allow
Priority 300 Allow-HTTPS-Internet TCP Internet Any 443 Allow
Test source IP: 203.0.113.20
Observed result: TCP 443 denied
Based on the exhibit, HTTPS traffic from the admin workstation is still being blocked. What change should the administrator make?
Inbound NSG rules on AppSubnet:
Priority 200 Deny-All-Inbound Any Any Any Any Deny
Priority 250 Allow-HTTPS-Admin TCP 203.0.113.20/32 Any 443 Allow
Priority 300 Allow-HTTPS-Internet TCP Internet Any 443 Allow
Test source IP: 203.0.113.20
Observed result: TCP 443 denied
A
Delete the Deny-All-Inbound rule.
Why wrong: Removing the deny rule would open more traffic than intended and is not the least disruptive fix. The real problem is priority order, not the existence of a deny rule.
B
Change Allow-HTTPS-Admin to priority 100.
NSG rules are evaluated from the lowest priority number to the highest. In the exhibit, the deny rule at priority 200 is matched before the allow rule at 250, so traffic is blocked. Moving the admin allow rule to a lower number such as 100 makes it evaluate first and permits the HTTPS test traffic.
C
Change Allow-HTTPS-Admin protocol from TCP to Any.
Why wrong: The traffic is already TCP 443, so changing the protocol to Any does not address the fact that the deny rule is evaluated first. Priority, not protocol, is the issue.
D
Move the allow rule to outbound traffic.
Why wrong: The connection attempt is inbound to the VM, so moving the rule to outbound would not allow the HTTPS session. The direction must match the traffic flow being filtered.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Change Allow-HTTPS-Admin to priority 100.
The Deny-All-Inbound rule has a default priority of 65000, which is higher (lower priority) than the Allow-HTTPS-Admin rule at priority 200. Since Azure Network Security Group (NSG) rules are evaluated in priority order (lowest number = highest priority), the Deny-All-Inbound rule is evaluated first and blocks all traffic, including HTTPS from the admin workstation. By changing Allow-HTTPS-Admin to priority 100, it will be evaluated before the Deny-All-Inbound rule, allowing HTTPS traffic to pass.
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.
✗
Delete the Deny-All-Inbound rule.
Why it's wrong here
Removing the deny rule would open more traffic than intended and is not the least disruptive fix. The real problem is priority order, not the existence of a deny rule.
✓
Change Allow-HTTPS-Admin to priority 100.
Why this is correct
NSG rules are evaluated from the lowest priority number to the highest. In the exhibit, the deny rule at priority 200 is matched before the allow rule at 250, so traffic is blocked. Moving the admin allow rule to a lower number such as 100 makes it evaluate first and permits the HTTPS test traffic.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Change Allow-HTTPS-Admin protocol from TCP to Any.
Why it's wrong here
The traffic is already TCP 443, so changing the protocol to Any does not address the fact that the deny rule is evaluated first. Priority, not protocol, is the issue.
✗
Move the allow rule to outbound traffic.
Why it's wrong here
The connection attempt is inbound to the VM, so moving the rule to outbound would not allow the HTTPS session. The direction must match the traffic flow being filtered.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often think deleting the deny rule is the solution, but the real issue is the priority order of rules in an NSG, not the existence of the deny rule itself.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure NSGs process rules in ascending priority order, with lower numbers evaluated first. The default Deny-All-Inbound rule has a priority of 65000, meaning it is evaluated last among all custom rules. However, if a custom Deny rule exists with a priority lower than 200 (e.g., 100), it would block traffic before the allow rule. In this scenario, the Deny-All-Inbound rule is likely a custom rule with a priority between 100 and 200, or the default rule is being applied because no higher-priority allow rule exists for the specific traffic. The fix ensures the allow rule is evaluated before any deny rule.
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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-104 question in full detail.
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: Change Allow-HTTPS-Admin to priority 100. — The Deny-All-Inbound rule has a default priority of 65000, which is higher (lower priority) than the Allow-HTTPS-Admin rule at priority 200. Since Azure Network Security Group (NSG) rules are evaluated in priority order (lowest number = highest priority), the Deny-All-Inbound rule is evaluated first and blocks all traffic, including HTTPS from the admin workstation. By changing Allow-HTTPS-Admin to priority 100, it will be evaluated before the Deny-All-Inbound rule, allowing HTTPS traffic to pass.
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.
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