The correct answer is to move the Allow-HTTPS-Admin rule to a priority lower than 200. This is because Azure NSG rule priority order processes rules from the lowest numeric value to the highest, meaning a deny rule at priority 200 is evaluated before an allow rule at priority 300, blocking HTTPS traffic regardless of the allow rule’s intent. The administrator’s HTTPS test fails because the deny rule matches first; to fix this, the allow rule must have a smaller priority number (e.g., 100) so it is evaluated before the deny. On the AZ-104 exam, this concept tests your understanding of NSG rule evaluation logic, often appearing as a scenario where a lower-priority allow rule is mistakenly placed after a higher-priority deny rule—a common trap where candidates assume allow rules override denies. Remember the memory tip: “Lower number wins first; if deny is lower, traffic is gone.”
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 for Subnet-Prod:
Priority 200: Deny-HTTPS-Internet | Source: Internet | Destination: Any | Port: 443 | Action: Deny
Priority 250: Allow-HTTPS-Admin | Source: 203.0.113.20/32 | Destination: Any | Port: 443 | Action: Allow
Observed result: Traffic from 203.0.113.20 to the VM on TCP 443 is blocked.
Based on the exhibit, why is the administrator's HTTPS test still being denied, and what should be changed?
Inbound NSG rules for Subnet-Prod:
Priority 200: Deny-HTTPS-Internet | Source: Internet | Destination: Any | Port: 443 | Action: Deny
Priority 250: Allow-HTTPS-Admin | Source: 203.0.113.20/32 | Destination: Any | Port: 443 | Action: Allow
Observed result: Traffic from 203.0.113.20 to the VM on TCP 443 is blocked.
A
Increase the deny rule priority number from 200 to 300.
Why wrong: A larger priority number would make the deny rule evaluate later, but the allow rule should still be positioned correctly first.
B
Move Allow-HTTPS-Admin to a priority lower than 200.
NSG rules are processed from the lowest priority number upward. Because the deny rule is evaluated first, the admin allow rule never gets a chance. Moving the allow rule ahead of the deny rule lets only the admin IP reach HTTPS while everyone else remains blocked.
C
Change Allow-HTTPS-Admin to use protocol Any.
Why wrong: Changing the protocol broadens the rule unnecessarily and still would not help if the deny rule is matched first.
D
Assign a public IP address to the VM.
Why wrong: A public IP address does not override the NSG. The traffic would still be denied by the inbound rule order.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Move Allow-HTTPS-Admin to a priority lower than 200.
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.
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.
✗
Increase the deny rule priority number from 200 to 300.
Why it's wrong here
A larger priority number would make the deny rule evaluate later, but the allow rule should still be positioned correctly first.
✓
Move Allow-HTTPS-Admin to a priority lower than 200.
Why this is correct
NSG rules are processed from the lowest priority number upward. Because the deny rule is evaluated first, the admin allow rule never gets a chance. Moving the allow rule ahead of the deny rule lets only the admin IP reach HTTPS while everyone else remains blocked.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Change Allow-HTTPS-Admin to use protocol Any.
Why it's wrong here
Changing the protocol broadens the rule unnecessarily and still would not help if the deny rule is matched first.
✗
Assign a public IP address to the VM.
Why it's wrong here
A public IP address does not override the NSG. The traffic would still be denied by the inbound rule order.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse priority numbers, thinking a higher number means higher priority, when in fact lower numbers are evaluated first; this leads them to incorrectly choose increasing the deny rule's priority or other irrelevant changes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure NSG rules are evaluated in ascending order of priority (lower number = higher priority), and once a rule matches, no further rules are processed. This means a deny rule with a lower priority number (e.g., 200) will always block traffic that matches it, even if a subsequent allow rule (e.g., 300) permits the same traffic. In real-world scenarios, administrators often mistakenly place deny rules at low priorities, inadvertently blocking legitimate traffic; the correct approach is to place explicit allow rules at lower priorities than any corresponding deny rules to ensure desired traffic is permitted.
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.
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 Allow-HTTPS-Admin to a priority lower than 200. — 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.
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
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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. 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.
Variation 2. 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?
medium
✓ A.Move the allow rule for WebTierASG to a priority lower than 100.
B.Delete the deny rule because default rules already block unwanted traffic.
C.Change the deny rule source from VirtualNetwork to Internet.
D.Change the default inbound rule to AllowVnetInBound.
Why A: 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.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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