AZ-400 Implement an instrumentation strategy Practice Question
You manage an Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) cluster that runs a microservices application. You have enabled Azure Monitor for containers and configured Application Insights for the services. The development team reports that they cannot see the dependency calls between microservices in the Application Insights Application Map. You need to ensure that the Application Map shows the dependencies between the microservices. What should you do?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse infrastructure monitoring with application performance monitoring; enabling container monitoring does not automatically create the dependency telemetry needed for the Application Map.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure the Application Insights SDK in each microservice to track dependencies and use the W3C Trace Context protocol for correlation.
The Application Map in Application Insights is built from dependency telemetry and correlated operation IDs. To show dependencies between microservices, each service must be instrumented to track outgoing calls and propagate trace context using a standard like W3C Trace Context. Container-level monitoring and log collection do not provide the necessary application telemetry.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Configure the Application Insights SDK in each microservice to track dependencies and use the W3C Trace Context protocol for correlation.
Why this is correct
The Application Map relies on dependency telemetry and correlated operation IDs. For microservices, each service must be instrumented to track outgoing dependencies and propagate trace context. Using the W3C Trace Context standard ensures that the correlation headers are passed between services, allowing Application Insights to stitch together the distributed trace and display dependencies in the Application Map.
- ✗
Enable Azure Monitor for containers and ensure that the Container Insights agent is collecting performance data from all nodes.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Monitor for containers collects performance and inventory data, not application-level dependency calls. While it can show node and pod metrics, it does not generate the dependency telemetry required for the Application Map. The Application Map needs application telemetry from the Application Insights SDK, not just container metrics.
- ✗
Deploy the Application Insights Kubernetes add-on to the cluster and configure it to collect logs from all pods.
Why it's wrong here
The Application Insights Kubernetes add-on collects logs and events from pods and sends them to Application Insights, but it does not automatically instrument applications to track dependencies. Without code-level instrumentation or an auto-instrumentation agent that supports dependency tracking, the Application Map will not show inter-service calls.
- ✗
Use Azure Monitor Logs to query the ContainerLog table and create a custom workbook that visualizes the dependencies.
Why it's wrong here
Querying ContainerLog provides log data but not structured dependency telemetry. A custom workbook can visualize data, but it does not populate the Application Map, which is a specific feature of Application Insights that depends on dependency telemetry and correlation. This approach would not meet the requirement of showing dependencies in the Application Map.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Managing Infrastructure as Code Using Azure
Key term
Telemetry
Telemetry is the automatic collection, transmission, and measurement of data from remote sources to a central system for analysis and monitoring.
Key term
Trace
A trace is a record of the path and timing of a request or operation as it moves through components in a system, used to monitor performance and troubleshoot issues.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
This AZ-400 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-400 exam.