The correct answer is Azure Application Gateway because it functions as a layer-7 load balancer that can serve as an ingress controller for Azure Kubernetes Service, providing both TLS termination and a built-in Web Application Firewall (WAF) to defend against common web threats like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. By using the Application Gateway Ingress Controller (AGIC) add-on, it seamlessly routes external HTTP/HTTPS traffic to AKS pods while offloading SSL processing and enforcing WAF policies at the edge. On the AZ-305 exam, this scenario tests your ability to select a managed ingress solution that combines traffic management with security—a common trap is choosing Azure Front Door, which lacks native AKS ingress controller integration, or a third-party ingress like NGINX without built-in WAF. Remember the memory tip: “AGIC + WAF = one gateway to rule them all,” highlighting that Application Gateway unifies ingress control, TLS offload, and web application firewall protection in a single Azure service.
AZ-305 Design infrastructure solutions Practice Question
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design infrastructure solutions. 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.
A company deploys a containerized application on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). They need to expose the application to the internet and provide TLS termination. The solution must also include a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to protect against common attacks. Which Azure service should they use as the ingress controller?
Application Gateway can be deployed as an AKS ingress controller, providing TLS termination and WAF capabilities.
B
Azure Front Door
Why wrong: Front Door is a global application delivery network but is not used as an AKS ingress controller; it can sit in front of Application Gateway.
C
Azure Load Balancer
Why wrong: Load Balancer is layer-4 and does not provide TLS termination or WAF.
D
Azure Traffic Manager
Why wrong: Traffic Manager is a DNS-based traffic router and does not handle TLS termination or WAF.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Azure Application Gateway
Azure Application Gateway is the correct choice because it is a layer-7 load balancer that can act as an ingress controller for AKS, providing TLS termination and a built-in Web Application Firewall (WAF) to protect against common attacks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. It integrates directly with AKS via the Application Gateway Ingress Controller (AGIC) add-on, allowing it to route external HTTP/HTTPS traffic to containerized applications while offloading SSL/TLS processing and enforcing WAF policies at the edge.
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 Application Gateway
Why this is correct
Application Gateway can be deployed as an AKS ingress controller, providing TLS termination and WAF capabilities.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Azure Front Door
Why it's wrong here
Front Door is a global application delivery network but is not used as an AKS ingress controller; it can sit in front of Application Gateway.
✗
Azure Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
Load Balancer is layer-4 and does not provide TLS termination or WAF.
✗
Azure Traffic Manager
Why it's wrong here
Traffic Manager is a DNS-based traffic router and does not handle TLS termination or WAF.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Front Door with Application Gateway because both provide WAF and TLS termination, but Front Door is a global service for multi-region traffic distribution, not a direct AKS ingress controller that can route to pods within a single cluster.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the Application Gateway Ingress Controller (AGIC) runs as a pod in the AKS cluster and watches for Kubernetes Ingress resources, dynamically configuring the Application Gateway's routing rules and TLS certificates. This eliminates the need for a separate ingress controller like NGINX and allows the WAF to inspect traffic before it reaches the cluster, reducing the attack surface. In a real-world scenario, if the application requires path-based routing or host-based routing with SSL offloading and OWASP top-10 protection, Application Gateway with WAF is the only native Azure service that combines all these capabilities in a single ingress solution for AKS.
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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-305 question in full detail.
Design infrastructure solutions — This question tests Design infrastructure solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Azure Application Gateway — Azure Application Gateway is the correct choice because it is a layer-7 load balancer that can act as an ingress controller for AKS, providing TLS termination and a built-in Web Application Firewall (WAF) to protect against common attacks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. It integrates directly with AKS via the Application Gateway Ingress Controller (AGIC) add-on, allowing it to route external HTTP/HTTPS traffic to containerized applications while offloading SSL/TLS processing and enforcing WAF policies at the edge.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 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 company deploys a containerized microservices application on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). They need to expose the application to the internet with TLS termination and provide a single endpoint for multiple services. The solution must also include a Web Application Firewall (WAF). Which Azure service should they use as the ingress controller?
medium
✓ A.Azure Application Gateway with WAF
B.Azure Front Door with WAF
C.Azure Load Balancer with TLS termination
D.Azure Traffic Manager with health probes
Why A: Azure Application Gateway with WAF is the correct choice because it is a regional, layer-7 load balancer that can act as an ingress controller for AKS. It provides TLS termination at the gateway and integrates a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to protect against common web exploits. This allows a single public endpoint to route traffic to multiple microservices within the AKS cluster based on URL paths or host headers.
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This AZ-305 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-305 exam.
Question Discussion
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