- A
Azure Traffic Manager
Why wrong: Azure Traffic Manager is a DNS-based traffic router that directs traffic at the domain level based on routing methods like performance or geographic. It does not inspect HTTP traffic, cannot offload SSL, route based on URL paths, or provide a web application firewall. Therefore, it does not meet the HTTP-level requirements.
- B
Azure Application Gateway
Why wrong: Azure Application Gateway is a regional Layer 7 load balancer that offers SSL termination, URL-path routing, and WAF. However, it is deployed within a single region and cannot route requests globally or automatically direct users to the closest regional deployment. A separate Application Gateway instance would be needed in each region, which does not provide a single global endpoint.
- C
Azure Load Balancer
Why wrong: Azure Load Balancer operates at Layer 4 (TCP/UDP) and distributes traffic solely based on network-level properties. It cannot inspect HTTP headers, perform URL-path routing, offload SSL, or provide WAF capabilities. It is also a regional service, not global.
- D
Azure Front Door
Azure Front Door is a global HTTP(S) load balancer that provides SSL offloading, path-based routing, WAF integration, and intelligent traffic routing to the closest available regional backend. It meets all the specified requirements in a single global service.
AZ-900 Describe Azure architecture and services Practice Question
This AZ-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe azure architecture and services. 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.
A global e-commerce company has web applications deployed on Azure virtual machines in the West US and West Europe regions. The company needs a single, global HTTP-based entry point that can perform SSL offloading, route requests based on the URL path (e.g., /api to one backend pool, /images to another), and provide a web application firewall (WAF) to protect against common web attacks. Additionally, the solution must automatically direct users to the closest regional deployment to minimize latency. Which Azure service should the company use?
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 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
Azure Front Door
Azure Front Door is the correct choice because it provides a global, HTTP/HTTPS-based entry point with SSL offloading, URL path-based routing to different backend pools, and a built-in web application firewall (WAF). It also uses Anycast-based routing to automatically direct users to the closest regional deployment, minimizing latency.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Azure Traffic Manager
Why it's wrong here
Azure Traffic Manager is a DNS-based traffic router that directs traffic at the domain level based on routing methods like performance or geographic. It does not inspect HTTP traffic, cannot offload SSL, route based on URL paths, or provide a web application firewall. Therefore, it does not meet the HTTP-level requirements.
- ✗
Azure Application Gateway
Why it's wrong here
Azure Application Gateway is a regional Layer 7 load balancer that offers SSL termination, URL-path routing, and WAF. However, it is deployed within a single region and cannot route requests globally or automatically direct users to the closest regional deployment. A separate Application Gateway instance would be needed in each region, which does not provide a single global endpoint.
- ✗
Azure Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
Azure Load Balancer operates at Layer 4 (TCP/UDP) and distributes traffic solely based on network-level properties. It cannot inspect HTTP headers, perform URL-path routing, offload SSL, or provide WAF capabilities. It is also a regional service, not global.
- ✓
Azure Front Door
Why this is correct
Azure Front Door is a global HTTP(S) load balancer that provides SSL offloading, path-based routing, WAF integration, and intelligent traffic routing to the closest available regional backend. It meets all the specified requirements in a single global service.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Application Gateway (regional, path-based routing with WAF) with Azure Front Door (global, path-based routing with WAF and global load balancing), missing the critical requirement for global traffic distribution and automatic user proximity routing.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Front Door uses Anycast networking to route traffic to the nearest point of presence (PoP) based on the user's location, leveraging the Microsoft global network. Its WAF integrates with OWASP core rule sets and can be customized to block SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and other common attacks. In a real-world scenario, a global e-commerce company can use Front Door to route /api requests to a backend pool in West US and /images to a pool in West Europe, while automatically failing over if one region becomes unavailable.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-900 question test?
Describe Azure architecture and services — This question tests Describe Azure architecture and services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Azure Front Door — Azure Front Door is the correct choice because it provides a global, HTTP/HTTPS-based entry point with SSL offloading, URL path-based routing to different backend pools, and a built-in web application firewall (WAF). It also uses Anycast-based routing to automatically direct users to the closest regional deployment, minimizing latency.
What should I do if I get this AZ-900 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This AZ-900 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-900 exam.
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