A company deploys a web application on Azure VMs within a single region. They need to distribute incoming HTTP traffic across multiple VMs, offload SSL encryption, and maintain session persistence (sticky sessions) for user sessions. Which Azure load balancing solution should they 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
Azure Load Balancer
Incorrect. Azure Load Balancer is Layer 4 and cannot offload SSL or maintain session persistence based on HTTP cookies.
Best answer
Azure Application Gateway
Correct. Application Gateway is a Layer 7 load balancer that offloads SSL, supports sticky sessions, and distributes HTTP traffic.
Distractor review
Azure Traffic Manager
Incorrect. Traffic Manager operates at the DNS level and does not handle SSL offloading or session persistence.
Distractor review
Azure Front Door
Incorrect. Front Door is a global service, not the best choice for traffic distribution within a single region.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
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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
A company is designing hub-and-spoke networking. Spoke VNets must use a central Azure Firewall for outbound internet traffic. Which two configurations are required?
Question 2
A company is designing private access to a PaaS database from workloads in a VNet. The database should not be reachable over its public endpoint. What should be recommended?
Question 3
A data platform must support analytical queries over petabytes of files in a data lake, while preserving hierarchical namespaces and fine-grained ACLs. Which storage service should you design around?
Question 4
A database workload has an RPO of 15 minutes and an RTO of 4 hours. Cost is more important than near-zero data loss. Which design is usually more appropriate than synchronous multi-region replication?
Question 5
A hub-and-spoke Azure network must centralize outbound inspection and still allow spokes to resolve private endpoint DNS names. Which two components are commonly required? (Choose 2.)
Question 6
A multinational company uses Microsoft Entra ID and several Azure subscriptions. Security administrators need to review privileged role assignments every month and require justification for continued access. Which design should be recommended?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-305 question test?
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 a regional Layer 7 load balancer that supports SSL offloading, session persistence (sticky sessions), and HTTP/HTTPS traffic management. Azure Load Balancer operates at Layer 4 and cannot offload SSL or handle HTTP-specific features. Azure Traffic Manager is a DNS-based global load balancer. Azure Front Door is a global Layer 7 service, but Application Gateway is the correct choice for intra-region load balancing with these features.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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