- A
Implement trunk-based development: developers work on short-lived feature branches (less than a day) and merge to main multiple times a day. Use feature flags to control release of incomplete features. Hotfixes are created from main and merged back quickly.
Trunk-based development with feature flags minimizes merge conflicts and enables CI/CD.
- B
Use a single main branch and allow developers to commit directly to main, but require all commits to be small and pass CI. Hotfixes are committed directly to main.
Why wrong: Direct commits to main bypass code review and can cause instability.
- C
Use a single main branch and create release branches from main for each deployment. Feature branches are merged to release branches, and then release branches are merged to main after deployment.
Why wrong: This still uses release branches, which can cause merge conflicts and delays.
- D
Continue using GitFlow but enforce stricter branch policies and require more frequent merges.
Why wrong: GitFlow inherently has long-lived branches, which cause merge conflicts.
AZ-400 Practice Question: Design and implement a source control strategy
This AZ-400 practice question tests your understanding of design and implement a source control strategy. 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.
Your organization uses Azure DevOps for a large-scale e-commerce platform. The source code is stored in a single Azure Repos Git repository with over 100 contributors. The current branching strategy is a modified GitFlow with main, develop, release, and hotfix branches. However, the team is experiencing frequent merge conflicts and long integration periods. You have been asked to redesign the branching strategy to support continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) while ensuring high-quality releases. The new strategy must reduce merge conflicts, enable fast feedback, and support hotfixes. The team uses feature flags to manage incomplete features. Which branching strategy should you recommend?
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
Implement trunk-based development: developers work on short-lived feature branches (less than a day) and merge to main multiple times a day. Use feature flags to control release of incomplete features. Hotfixes are created from main and merged back quickly.
Option B is correct because trunk-based development with short-lived feature branches and feature flags is designed to reduce merge conflicts and enable continuous integration. Option A is incorrect because GitFlow is the current problematic strategy. Option C is incorrect because release branches are not suitable for CI/CD with feature flags. Option D is incorrect because long-lived feature branches are the opposite of what is needed.
Key principle: A trunk being up does not mean the VLAN is allowed across it. Always verify the allowed VLAN list and whether the VLAN exists on both switches.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Implement trunk-based development: developers work on short-lived feature branches (less than a day) and merge to main multiple times a day. Use feature flags to control release of incomplete features. Hotfixes are created from main and merged back quickly.
- ✗
Use a single main branch and allow developers to commit directly to main, but require all commits to be small and pass CI. Hotfixes are committed directly to main.
Why it's wrong here
Direct commits to main bypass code review and can cause instability.
- ✗
Use a single main branch and create release branches from main for each deployment. Feature branches are merged to release branches, and then release branches are merged to main after deployment.
Why it's wrong here
This still uses release branches, which can cause merge conflicts and delays.
- ✗
Continue using GitFlow but enforce stricter branch policies and require more frequent merges.
Why it's wrong here
GitFlow inherently has long-lived branches, which cause merge conflicts.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: an active trunk can still block the VLAN you need
A trunk being up does not prove every VLAN is crossing it. Check allowed VLAN lists, native VLAN mismatch, VLAN existence and access-port assignment.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
VLAN questions usually combine access-port and trunking clues. The key is to identify whether the issue is local to one switchport, caused by the trunk, or caused by the VLAN not existing where it needs to exist.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
- Trunk ports carry multiple VLANs between switches.
- Allowed VLAN lists decide which VLANs can cross a trunk.
- Native VLAN mismatch can create confusing symptoms.
TExam Day Tips
- Use show vlan brief to verify access VLANs.
- Use show interfaces trunk to verify trunk state and allowed VLANs.
- Do not treat every same-VLAN issue as a routing problem.
Key takeaway
A trunk being up does not mean the VLAN is allowed across it. Always verify the allowed VLAN list and whether the VLAN exists on both switches.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review VLAN allowed lists, native VLAN mismatch detection, and how to verify VLAN membership with show vlan brief and show interfaces trunk. Then practise related AZ-400 questions on switching, trunking, and access-port configuration.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-400 question test?
Design and implement a source control strategy — This question tests Design and implement a source control strategy — Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Implement trunk-based development: developers work on short-lived feature branches (less than a day) and merge to main multiple times a day. Use feature flags to control release of incomplete features. Hotfixes are created from main and merged back quickly. — Option B is correct because trunk-based development with short-lived feature branches and feature flags is designed to reduce merge conflicts and enable continuous integration. Option A is incorrect because GitFlow is the current problematic strategy. Option C is incorrect because release branches are not suitable for CI/CD with feature flags. Option D is incorrect because long-lived feature branches are the opposite of what is needed.
What should I do if I get this AZ-400 question wrong?
Review VLAN allowed lists, native VLAN mismatch detection, and how to verify VLAN membership with show vlan brief and show interfaces trunk. Then practise related AZ-400 questions on switching, trunking, and access-port configuration.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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.
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