The answer is Azure Bastion. This is the correct choice because Azure Bastion provides secure, seamless RDP and SSH connectivity to virtual machines directly from the Azure portal over TLS, without requiring any public IP addresses or a VPN client. It uses a browser-based HTML5 client, so administrators can connect to Linux VMs from a browser while keeping the VMs completely isolated from the public internet. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of secure remote access solutions and often appears as a distractor against options like Just-In-Time VM access or a VPN gateway—remember that Bastion is the only service that eliminates both public IPs and client software. A common trap is choosing a VPN gateway, but Bastion is purpose-built for browser-based, agentless connectivity. Memory tip: think “Bastion Browser” — both start with B, and Bastion is the only service that lets you manage VMs through your browser without opening any inbound ports.
AZ-104 Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of deploy and manage azure compute. 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.
Administrators need to manage Linux virtual machines that do not have public IP addresses. They want to connect from a browser without installing a VPN client. Which Azure service should they use?
Azure Bastion provides secure browser-based RDP and SSH access to VMs using the private IP address. It avoids exposing public IPs on the virtual machines and does not require a VPN client.
B
VPN Gateway
Why wrong: VPN Gateway provides network connectivity into the VNet, but it requires VPN configuration and is not the browser-based management service described in the scenario.
C
Load Balancer
Why wrong: A load balancer distributes traffic to backend resources. It does not provide interactive administrative access to VMs through a browser.
D
Private endpoint
Why wrong: Private endpoints are for private access to supported Azure services, not for interactive SSH or RDP management of virtual machines.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Azure Bastion
Azure Bastion provides secure, seamless RDP/SSH connectivity to virtual machines directly from the Azure portal over TLS, without requiring public IP addresses or a VPN client. It uses a browser-based HTML5 client, making it ideal for administrators who need to manage Linux VMs without exposing them to the internet or installing additional software.
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.
✓
Azure Bastion
Why this is correct
Azure Bastion provides secure browser-based RDP and SSH access to VMs using the private IP address. It avoids exposing public IPs on the virtual machines and does not require a VPN client.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
VPN Gateway
Why it's wrong here
VPNGateway provides network connectivity into the VNet, but it requires VPN configuration and is not the browser-based management service described in the scenario.
✗
Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
A load balancer distributes traffic to backend resources. It does not provide interactive administrative access to VMs through a browser.
✗
Private endpoint
Why it's wrong here
Private endpoints are for private access to supported Azure services, not for interactive SSH or RDP management of virtual machines.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Bastion with VPNGateway, assuming a VPN is required for private VM access, but Bastion eliminates the need for a VPN client by providing browser-based connectivity directly through the Azure portal.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
VPN Gateway provides network connectivity into the VNet, but it requires VPN configuration and is not the browser-based management service described in the scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Bastion provisions a fully managed PaaS service inside a virtual network, using a dedicated subnet called AzureBastionSubnet (minimum /27). It establishes a secure WebSocket connection over TLS (port 443) to the target VM, which must have the Bastion extension installed (automatically handled for supported images). The service supports both password-based and SSH key-based authentication, and it can be integrated with Azure Active Directory for additional security controls.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-104 question in full detail.
Deploy and Manage Azure Compute — This question tests Deploy and Manage Azure Compute — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Azure Bastion — Azure Bastion provides secure, seamless RDP/SSH connectivity to virtual machines directly from the Azure portal over TLS, without requiring public IP addresses or a VPN client. It uses a browser-based HTML5 client, making it ideal for administrators who need to manage Linux VMs without exposing them to the internet or installing additional software.
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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Question Discussion
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