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.
Based on the exhibit, what should the administrator change so the web tier can reach the database tier on TCP 443 without opening the subnet more broadly?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Move the allow rule for WebTierASG to a priority lower than 100.
Option A is correct because the administrator must ensure the allow rule for WebTierASG is evaluated before the deny-all rule. In Azure Network Security Groups (NSGs), rules are processed in priority order (lower numbers first). The current deny rule at priority 100 blocks all traffic from VirtualNetwork, including TCP 443 from the web tier. By moving the allow rule to a priority lower than 100 (e.g., 90), it will be evaluated first, permitting TCP 443 traffic from WebTierASG to the database tier, while the deny rule still blocks all other traffic from the virtual network.
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.
✓
Move the allow rule for WebTierASG to a priority lower than 100.
Why this is correct
The allow rule must be evaluated before the broader deny rule so the intended traffic is permitted.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Delete the deny rule because default rules already block unwanted traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Deleting the rule would expose more traffic than intended and is not the least-privilege fix.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where the question states that the default rules already block unwanted traffic and there is no need for explicit deny rules, or if the deny rule is redundant because the default inbound rule 'DenyAllInBound' is already in place and the allow rule is sufficient.
✗
Change the deny rule source from VirtualNetwork to Internet.
Why it's wrong here
That would stop blocking internal traffic, but it would also weaken the intended restriction model.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the question asked how to block inbound traffic from the internet to a subnet while allowing traffic from within the virtual network, and the existing deny rule was blocking all traffic.
✗
Change the default inbound rule to AllowVnetInBound.
Why it's wrong here
Default rules cannot be edited this way, and changing defaults would not solve the priority conflict.
When this WOULD be correct
This would be correct if the question asked to ensure that all resources within the virtual network can communicate with each other by default, without any specific restrictions, and the current default rule is set to deny.
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.
✓Move the allow rule for WebTierASG to a priority lower than 100.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
The allow rule must be evaluated before the broader deny rule so the intended traffic is permitted.
✗Delete the deny rule because default rules already block unwanted traffic.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Deleting the deny rule would allow all traffic from VirtualNetwork to the database subnet, including traffic from other subnets, which violates the requirement to restrict access to only the web tier on TCP 443.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where the question states that the default rules already block unwanted traffic and there is no need for explicit deny rules, or if the deny rule is redundant because the default inbound rule 'DenyAllInBound' is already in place and the allow rule is sufficient.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that default rules (like DenyAllInBound) automatically block unwanted traffic, so deleting explicit deny rules seems logical, but they overlook that the default rule is overridden by higher-priority allow rules, and the deny rule here is needed to block traffic from other subnets.
✗Change the deny rule source from VirtualNetwork to Internet.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Changing the deny rule source to 'Internet' would block traffic from the internet but not from other subnets within the virtual network, so the web tier would still be unable to reach the database tier due to the existing deny rule.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the question asked how to block inbound traffic from the internet to a subnet while allowing traffic from within the virtual network, and the existing deny rule was blocking all traffic.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that changing the source to 'Internet' will allow internal traffic while blocking external, but they overlook that the deny rule still blocks all traffic from the specified source, and the web tier is within the virtual network.
✗Change the default inbound rule to AllowVnetInBound.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Changing the default inbound rule to AllowVnetInBound would allow all traffic from within the virtual network, which is too broad and does not restrict access to only the web tier on TCP 443.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This would be correct if the question asked to ensure that all resources within the virtual network can communicate with each other by default, without any specific restrictions, and the current default rule is set to deny.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that modifying default rules is a simple way to allow traffic, not realizing that it opens up the subnet more broadly than required.
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 assume default rules block unwanted traffic, but Azure NSG default rules are permissive for virtual network traffic, so an explicit deny rule is necessary to restrict access, and priority order must be managed carefully to ensure allow rules are evaluated before deny rules.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure NSGs use a five-tuple match (source IP, source port, destination IP, destination port, protocol) and process rules in ascending priority order. The 'VirtualNetwork' service tag includes all RFC 1918 private addresses and Azure datacenter IP ranges, so a deny rule at priority 100 blocks all traffic from any virtual network resource, including the web tier. By placing a more specific allow rule (e.g., source: WebTierASG, destination: DatabaseSubnet, port: 443) at a lower priority number (e.g., 90), it is evaluated first, creating a 'permit specific, deny all else' pattern. This is a common pattern for microsegmentation in Azure, where application security groups (ASGs) are used to group VMs logically and NSG rules reference those ASGs to enforce least-privilege access.
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.
Visual reference
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: Move the allow rule for WebTierASG to a priority lower than 100. — Option A is correct because the administrator must ensure the allow rule for WebTierASG is evaluated before the deny-all rule. In Azure Network Security Groups (NSGs), rules are processed in priority order (lower numbers first). The current deny rule at priority 100 blocks all traffic from VirtualNetwork, including TCP 443 from the web tier. By moving the allow rule to a priority lower than 100 (e.g., 90), it will be evaluated first, permitting TCP 443 traffic from WebTierASG to the database tier, while the deny rule still blocks all other traffic from the virtual network.
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 →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Based on the exhibit, why is the administrator's HTTPS test still being denied, and what should be changed?
easy
A.Increase the deny rule priority number from 200 to 300.
✓ B.Move Allow-HTTPS-Admin to a priority lower than 200.
C.Change Allow-HTTPS-Admin to use protocol Any.
D.Assign a public IP address to the VM.
Why B: The administrator's HTTPS test is denied because Azure Network Security Groups (NSGs) process rules in priority order, from lowest to highest numeric value. The deny rule at priority 200 is evaluated before the allow rule at priority 300, so the HTTPS traffic is blocked. To allow HTTPS traffic, the allow rule must have a lower priority number (e.g., 100) than the deny rule, ensuring it is evaluated first. Option B correctly identifies that moving Allow-HTTPS-Admin to a priority lower than 200 (i.e., a smaller number) will allow the traffic before the deny rule is applied.
Variation 2. A subnet NSG contains a deny RDP rule from Any at priority 200. The administrator must allow RDP from 10.8.0.0/24 to the virtual machines in that subnet. What should the administrator do?
easy
A.Create an allow rule with a higher priority number than 200.
✓ B.Create an allow rule with a lower priority number than 200.
C.Add a route table entry for TCP 3389.
D.Disable the default security rules on the NSG.
Why B: B is correct because NSG rules are evaluated in priority order, with lower numbers having higher priority. The existing deny rule at priority 200 blocks all RDP traffic. To allow RDP from 10.8.0.0/24, a new allow rule must be created with a priority lower than 200 (e.g., 150) so it is evaluated before the deny rule, permitting the specific traffic.
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.