The answer is Azure Traffic Manager. This DNS-based traffic load balancer is the correct choice because it supports both the Priority routing method for automatic failover to a secondary Azure region during a disaster, and the Performance routing method to direct users to the closest region for lower latency, directly meeting the requirements for global load balancing and failover. On the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 exam, this question tests your understanding of how Traffic Manager differs from other load balancers like Azure Load Balancer (which handles regional, not global, traffic) or Application Gateway (which focuses on HTTP/S routing). A common trap is confusing Traffic Manager’s DNS-level routing with a hardware or proxy-based solution—remember, it does not handle the traffic itself, only directs DNS queries. Memory tip: think of Traffic Manager as a “global GPS” for your app—it points users to the best region based on priority or proximity, ensuring both disaster recovery and performance.
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 company deploys a critical application across two Azure regions for disaster recovery. They want to automatically failover traffic to the secondary region if the primary becomes unavailable. They also want to improve performance by routing users to the closest region. Which Azure service should they use?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Azure Traffic Manager
Azure Traffic Manager is a DNS-based traffic load balancer that enables you to distribute traffic optimally to services across global Azure regions. It supports the 'Priority' routing method for automatic failover to a secondary region when the primary is unavailable, and the 'Performance' routing method to direct users to the closest region for improved latency. This combination directly meets the stated requirements for disaster recovery failover and performance-based routing.
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 this is correct
Traffic Manager provides global DNS routing with health monitoring and failover.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Azure Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
Load Balancer is regional (within a region) and does not route across multiple regions.
✗
Azure Application Gateway
Why it's wrong here
Application Gateway is a regional layer 7 load balancer, not suitable for multi-region failover.
✗
Azure VPN Gateway
Why it's wrong here
VPNGateway connects networks, not traffic routing for web applications.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Traffic Manager (global DNS-based routing) with Azure Load Balancer (regional Layer 4 load balancing), assuming both can handle cross-region failover when only Traffic Manager can.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Traffic Manager uses DNS resolution to direct client traffic based on the chosen routing method (e.g., Priority, Performance, Geographic). For failover, the Priority method relies on health probes (HTTP/HTTPS/TCP) sent to each endpoint; if the primary endpoint fails a configurable number of probes, Traffic Manager automatically returns the DNS record for the secondary endpoint. For performance routing, it uses a global latency map derived from Internet latency measurements to direct users to the Azure region with the lowest network latency, which can change dynamically based on network conditions.
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
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-900 question in full detail.
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 Traffic Manager — Azure Traffic Manager is a DNS-based traffic load balancer that enables you to distribute traffic optimally to services across global Azure regions. It supports the 'Priority' routing method for automatic failover to a secondary region when the primary is unavailable, and the 'Performance' routing method to direct users to the closest region for improved latency. This combination directly meets the stated requirements for disaster recovery failover and performance-based routing.
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: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company deploys web servers across Azure regions East US and West Europe. The application must automatically direct each user to the region that provides the lowest network latency, and if an entire region becomes unavailable, traffic must be seamlessly redirected to the remaining healthy region. Which Azure service should the company use?
medium
A.Azure Load Balancer
B.Azure Application Gateway
✓ C.Azure Traffic Manager
D.Azure Front Door
Why C: Azure Traffic Manager is a DNS-based traffic load balancer that directs user requests to the nearest available endpoint based on the lowest network latency. It also supports automatic failover: if a region becomes unavailable, Traffic Manager detects the endpoint health failure via health probes and redirects traffic to the remaining healthy region, providing seamless global load balancing and disaster recovery.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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