The correct answer is an inbound NSG rule with Source: WebASG, Destination: AppASG, Protocol: TCP, Port: 8080, and Priority: 250. This works because Application Security Groups (ASGs) allow you to group virtual machine NICs logically, so the rule references the ASG names rather than individual IP addresses—traffic from any VM in the WebASG group is allowed to reach any VM in the AppASG group on TCP 8080. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how ASGs simplify network security by decoupling rules from static IPs, and a common trap is confusing source and destination or forgetting that ASGs are only valid for inbound rules when used as a source. A key memory tip: think of ASGs as “logical tags” that follow your VMs, so you write rules based on function (web vs. app) instead of IP ranges.
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
Application security groups:
- WebASG contains the web VM NICs
- AppASG contains the app VM NICs
App subnet NSG rules:
- Priority 300: Deny-All-Inbound | Source: Any | Destination: Any | Port: Any | Action: Deny
No allow rule exists for web-to-app traffic.
Based on the exhibit, what inbound NSG rule should the administrator add to allow only the web tier to reach the app tier on TCP 8080?
Application security groups:
- WebASG contains the web VM NICs
- AppASG contains the app VM NICs
App subnet NSG rules:
- Priority 300: Deny-All-Inbound | Source: Any | Destination: Any | Port: Any | Action: Deny
No allow rule exists for web-to-app traffic.
This rule uses application security groups to target the web tier and app tier precisely. Priority 250 is evaluated before the deny rule at 300, so the allowed web-to-app traffic can pass while everything else remains blocked.
Option A is correct because the inbound NSG rule must allow traffic from the web tier (source: WebASG) to the app tier (destination: AppASG) on TCP port 8080. A priority of 250 is lower than the default rules (65000+) and ensures this rule is evaluated before any higher-numbered deny rules, while being high enough to leave room for more specific rules if needed.
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.
This rule uses application security groups to target the web tier and app tier precisely. Priority 250 is evaluated before the deny rule at 300, so the allowed web-to-app traffic can pass while everything else remains blocked.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
A priority higher than the deny rule is evaluated later, so the traffic would still be denied first.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the source and destination in NSG rules, mistakenly thinking the rule should allow the app tier to receive traffic from the web tier by setting the source to AppASG and destination to WebASG, which is the reverse of the required direction.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Network Security Groups (NSGs) in Azure are stateful firewalls that filter traffic at the subnet or NIC level. Rules are evaluated in priority order (lowest number first), and each rule can reference Application Security Groups (ASGs) as source or destination, enabling micro-segmentation without managing individual IP addresses. The default inbound rules allow virtual network traffic and deny all internet traffic, so a custom rule with priority 250 will be evaluated before the default deny rule (priority 65000) and after the default allow rules (priorities 65000 and 65500).
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.
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: Source: WebASG, Destination: AppASG, Protocol: TCP, Port: 8080, Priority: 250 — Option A is correct because the inbound NSG rule must allow traffic from the web tier (source: WebASG) to the app tier (destination: AppASG) on TCP port 8080. A priority of 250 is lower than the default rules (65000+) and ensures this rule is evaluated before any higher-numbered deny rules, while being high enough to leave room for more specific rules if needed.
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 →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This AZ-104 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the AZ-104 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.