- A
Azure Traffic Manager with a Web Application Firewall (WAF) policy applied to each backend virtual machine
Why wrong: Azure Traffic Manager is a DNS-based traffic routing service that directs traffic to different endpoints based on routing methods such as performance (latency), but it does not inspect HTTP/HTTPS traffic because it operates at the DNS layer. A WAF policy applied at the backend VMs would still not inspect traffic at the edge before it reaches the VMs, and managing per-VM WAF policies would be inefficient.
- B
Azure Front Door
Azure Front Door is a global application delivery network that provides intelligent HTTP/HTTPS load balancing, SSL offload, URL-based routing, and latency-based routing to the closest healthy region. It also includes a built-in Web Application Firewall (WAF) that inspects all incoming traffic at the edge, protecting against common web exploits like SQL injection and XSS.
- C
Azure Application Gateway
Why wrong: Azure Application Gateway is a regional application load balancer that provides HTTP/HTTPS load balancing, SSL termination, and WAF capabilities. However, it is confined to a single Azure region and cannot route traffic globally based on user latency or perform cross-region failover.
- D
Azure Load Balancer
Why wrong: Azure Load Balancer operates at layer 4 (TCP/UDP) of the OSI model and cannot inspect or route HTTP/HTTPS traffic based on URL paths, hostnames, or latency. Additionally, it does not include a Web Application Firewall (WAF) and is designed for regional load balancing within a single region.
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 retail company hosts its e-commerce web application on Azure virtual machines in three Azure regions: West Europe, East US, and Southeast Asia. The application must provide a single HTTPS entry point for customers worldwide. The company requires the solution to: route each user to the region that provides the best performance (lowest latency), automatically redirect traffic to a healthy region if one becomes unavailable, and protect the application from common web vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS) by inspecting all incoming HTTP/HTTPS traffic at the edge. 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:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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 global HTTP(S) load balancing with latency-based routing to the nearest region, automatic failover across regions, and built-in Web Application Firewall (WAF) at the edge to inspect all incoming traffic for SQL injection and XSS. This single service meets all three requirements—performance routing, regional failover, and edge-level web vulnerability protection—without needing additional components.
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 with a Web Application Firewall (WAF) policy applied to each backend virtual machine
Why it's wrong here
Azure Traffic Manager is a DNS-based traffic routing service that directs traffic to different endpoints based on routing methods such as performance (latency), but it does not inspect HTTP/HTTPS traffic because it operates at the DNS layer. A WAF policy applied at the backend VMs would still not inspect traffic at the edge before it reaches the VMs, and managing per-VM WAF policies would be inefficient.
- ✓
Azure Front Door
Why this is correct
Azure Front Door is a global application delivery network that provides intelligent HTTP/HTTPS load balancing, SSL offload, URL-based routing, and latency-based routing to the closest healthy region. It also includes a built-in Web Application Firewall (WAF) that inspects all incoming traffic at the edge, protecting against common web exploits like SQL injection and XSS.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Azure Application Gateway
Why it's wrong here
Azure Application Gateway is a regional application load balancer that provides HTTP/HTTPS load balancing, SSL termination, and WAF capabilities. However, it is confined to a single Azure region and cannot route traffic globally based on user latency or perform cross-region failover.
- ✗
Azure Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
Azure Load Balancer operates at layer 4 (TCP/UDP) of the OSI model and cannot inspect or route HTTP/HTTPS traffic based on URL paths, hostnames, or latency. Additionally, it does not include a Web Application Firewall (WAF) and is designed for regional load balancing within a single region.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing Azure Traffic Manager (DNS-level, no WAF) with Azure Front Door (HTTP/HTTPS edge service with WAF), leading candidates to choose Traffic Manager when the question explicitly requires web vulnerability inspection at the edge.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Front Door uses Anycast to route traffic to the nearest point of presence (PoP) based on the user's source IP, then applies latency-based routing to select the optimal backend region. Its built-in WAF engine, based on the OWASP Core Rule Set (CRS), inspects each request at the edge before it reaches the origin, blocking malicious payloads like SQL injection patterns (e.g., ' OR 1=1--) and XSS scripts. This architecture ensures that even if a region fails, traffic is automatically redirected to the next best healthy region without DNS propagation delays.
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.
- →
Describe Azure architecture and services — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Describe Azure architecture and services practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All AZ-900 questions
1,031 questions across all exam domains
- →
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
AZ-900 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related AZ-900 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Describe cloud concepts practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to Describe cloud concepts.
Describe Azure architecture and services practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to Describe Azure architecture and services.
Describe Azure management and governance practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to Describe Azure management and governance.
AZ-900 Azure services practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to AZ-900 Azure services.
AZ-900 pricing and support practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to AZ-900 pricing and support.
AZ-900 security and compliance practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to AZ-900 security and compliance.
AZ-900 governance practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to AZ-900 governance.
Practice this exam
Start a free AZ-900 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
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 global HTTP(S) load balancing with latency-based routing to the nearest region, automatic failover across regions, and built-in Web Application Firewall (WAF) at the edge to inspect all incoming traffic for SQL injection and XSS. This single service meets all three requirements—performance routing, regional failover, and edge-level web vulnerability protection—without needing additional components.
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: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.