You are implementing an Azure Durable Functions application that processes orders. The function must call three external APIs (payment gateway, inventory system, and shipping calculator) in parallel, then aggregate the results once all three have completed. Which Durable Functions pattern should you use?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
Distractor review
Function chaining
Function chaining executes activities sequentially, not in parallel.
Best answer
Fan-out/Fan-in
Fan-out calls multiple activity functions in parallel, and fan-in waits for all to complete before aggregating results.
Distractor review
Monitor
Monitor pattern repeatedly checks an external state, not used for parallel execution.
Distractor review
Human interaction
Human interaction pattern waits for an external manual signal, not parallel API calls.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Related practice questions
Related AZ-204 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
An application stores customer invoices in Azure Blob Storage. Deleted blobs must be recoverable for 14 days. What should be enabled?
Question 2
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Question 3
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Question 4
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Question 5
You are developing an Azure Function that processes messages from an Azure Service Bus queue. The function uses a Service Bus queue trigger and runs on a Consumption Plan. The queue receives a high volume of messages in bursts. You need to ensure that the function scales out to handle the load but does not exceed 10 concurrent instances. Which configuration should you apply?
Question 6
You are monitoring an Azure App Service using Application Insights. You notice that the server response time is high for certain requests. You need to drill down to see which external dependencies (like databases or APIs) are causing the delay. Which Application Insights feature should you use?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-204 question test?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Fan-out/Fan-in — The Fan-out/Fan-in pattern is designed to execute multiple functions in parallel and then aggregate results. Function chaining runs activities sequentially. Monitor pattern polls an external state. Human interaction waits for a manual action.
What should I do if I get this AZ-204 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
Discussion
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