A company has multiple Azure subscriptions and on-premises data centers connected via ExpressRoute. They want to centralize connectivity to the internet and enforce a single web filtering and security policy for all outbound internet traffic from Azure VMs. Which Azure networking architecture should they implement?
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.
Best answer
Use a hub-spoke topology with Azure Firewall in the hub for all outbound traffic.
In a hub-spoke topology, the hub VNet contains shared services like Azure Firewall. Spoke VNets are peered to the hub, and UDRs in each spoke subnet route default internet-bound traffic (0.0.0.0/0) to the firewall. This ensures all outbound traffic is inspected by the firewall, providing centralized filtering.
Distractor review
Use a single virtual network for all resources with a network virtual appliance.
A single VNet for multiple subscriptions is not possible because VNets are scoped to a subscription. Also, a single VNet may exceed limits (e.g., 65,536 resources). This approach does not scale and mixes resources.
Distractor review
Use an Azure Virtual WAN with security virtual WAN hub.
Virtual WAN can centralize security (using Azure Firewall in the hub) and supports multiple subscriptions, but it is a more complex and expensive solution when you only have a few on-premises sites. Standard hub-spoke is simpler if you don't need global connectivity features like VPN site-to-site to many branches.
Distractor review
Use Azure Traffic Manager with Azure Firewall.
Azure Traffic Manager is a DNS-based load balancer for distributing traffic across endpoints. It cannot enforce outbound traffic policies. Azure Firewall is a security service, but without proper routing (UDRs) and VNet architecture, it cannot control outbound traffic from multiple VNets.
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.
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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?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use a hub-spoke topology with Azure Firewall in the hub for all outbound traffic. — A hub-spoke network topology is the recommended pattern for centralizing connectivity and security. By deploying an Azure Firewall in the hub virtual network, all outbound internet traffic from spoke VMs can be forced through the firewall via user-defined routes (UDRs). The firewall can apply consistent web filtering and security policies. Virtual WAN also supports centralized security, but it is typically used when you have many branch sites and need a global mesh. For a single hub with multiple subscriptions, a standard hub-spoke is simpler and more cost-effective.
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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