The correct answer includes Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS), Microsoft Entra Connect Sync, and Password Hash Synchronization. This combination directly addresses the multi-forest hybrid identity design challenge because Entra Connect Sync can reconcile multiple on-premises Active Directory forests with complex trust relationships into a single cloud identity, while AD FS provides federated authentication for seamless single sign-on, and password hash synchronization acts as a reliable fallback if federation is unavailable. On the AZ-305 exam, this scenario tests your ability to select components that minimize infrastructure changes while supporting unified credentials across cloud and on-premises resources—a common trap is choosing Entra Connect Health (a monitoring tool) or Entra Domain Services (for cloud-only domain join) instead of core identity components. Remember the mnemonic “Sync, Federate, Fallback” to recall the three pillars: Entra Connect Sync for identity unification, AD FS for federation, and password hash sync for resilience.
AZ-305 Design infrastructure solutions Practice Question
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design infrastructure solutions. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 multinational corporation is designing a hybrid identity solution using Microsoft Entra ID. The company has multiple on-premises Active Directory forests with complex trust relationships. They require that users can authenticate to both cloud and on-premises resources using the same credentials, and they want to minimize changes to the existing infrastructure. Which THREE components should be part of the solution? (Choose three.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Microsoft Entra Connect Sync
The correct answers are A, C, and D. Microsoft Entra Connect Sync synchronizes identities from multiple forests. Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) can be used for federated authentication with Entra ID. Password hash synchronization provides a fallback authentication method. Option B is wrong because Microsoft Entra Connect Health monitors the sync health but is not a core identity component. Option E is wrong because Microsoft Entra Domain Services is for domain-join scenarios without on-premises AD, not for hybrid identity.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Microsoft Entra Connect Sync
Why this is correct
Synchronizes identities from multiple on-premises AD forests.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✓
Password hash synchronization
Why this is correct
Provides fallback authentication if federation fails.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Microsoft Entra Connect Health
Why it's wrong here
Health monitoring, not core identity synchronization or federation.
✓
Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS)
Why this is correct
Provides federated authentication with Entra ID.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-305 question in full detail.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related AZ-305 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Design infrastructure solutions — This question tests Design infrastructure solutions — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Microsoft Entra Connect Sync — The correct answers are A, C, and D. Microsoft Entra Connect Sync synchronizes identities from multiple forests. Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) can be used for federated authentication with Entra ID. Password hash synchronization provides a fallback authentication method. Option B is wrong because Microsoft Entra Connect Health monitors the sync health but is not a core identity component. Option E is wrong because Microsoft Entra Domain Services is for domain-join scenarios without on-premises AD, not for hybrid identity.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related AZ-305 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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