- A
Azure Traffic Manager
Correct. Azure Traffic Manager is a DNS-based global traffic load balancer that routes end-user traffic to the nearest regional endpoint based on the configured routing method, such as Performance (lowest latency). It does not terminate HTTP traffic and works at the DNS level.
- B
Azure Application Gateway
Why wrong: Incorrect. Azure Application Gateway is a regional layer-7 load balancer that terminates HTTP/HTTPS traffic, performs SSL offloading, and can route based on URL paths. It is not designed for global latency-based routing and requires terminating HTTP traffic, which contradicts the requirement.
- C
Azure Front Door
Why wrong: Incorrect. Azure Front Door is a global layer-7 load balancer and application delivery network that can route based on latency, but it terminates HTTP/HTTPS traffic at the edge. The requirement states that the solution must not require terminating HTTP traffic, making Front Door less suitable than Traffic Manager.
- D
Azure Load Balancer
Why wrong: Incorrect. Azure Load Balancer is a regional layer-4 load balancer that distributes incoming traffic across virtual machines in the same region. It does not provide global routing based on geographic latency or DNS-level traffic management.
Quick Answer
The answer is Azure Traffic Manager, which is the correct choice because it uses DNS-based traffic routing to direct users to the region with the lowest network latency via its Performance routing method. Unlike a load balancer that terminates HTTP traffic, Traffic Manager operates purely at the DNS level, resolving domain names to the optimal endpoint based on geographic latency without inspecting or proxying the actual HTTP requests. On the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Azure Traffic Manager differs from Azure Load Balancer and Application Gateway—a common trap is confusing Traffic Manager’s DNS-level routing with a regional load balancer that handles traffic termination. Remember that Traffic Manager is all about smart DNS resolution, not traffic inspection. For a memory tip, think “DNS directs, never inspects”—if the requirement says “no HTTP termination,” your answer is Traffic Manager.
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 hosts a public-facing e-commerce website on Azure virtual machines deployed in two Azure regions (East US and West Europe). The company wants to automatically route users to the region that provides the lowest network latency based on their geographic location. The solution must use DNS-based traffic routing and does not require terminating HTTP traffic at the load balancer. Which Azure service should the company use?
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 Traffic Manager
Azure Traffic Manager is a DNS-based traffic load balancer that routes incoming DNS requests to the most appropriate endpoint based on the traffic-routing method selected. The 'Performance' routing method directs users to the region with the lowest network latency, and because it operates at the DNS level, it does not terminate HTTP traffic, meeting all stated requirements.
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
Correct. Azure Traffic Manager is a DNS-based global traffic load balancer that routes end-user traffic to the nearest regional endpoint based on the configured routing method, such as Performance (lowest latency). It does not terminate HTTP traffic and works at the DNS level.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Azure Application Gateway
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Azure Application Gateway is a regional layer-7 load balancer that terminates HTTP/HTTPS traffic, performs SSL offloading, and can route based on URL paths. It is not designed for global latency-based routing and requires terminating HTTP traffic, which contradicts the requirement.
- ✗
Azure Front Door
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Azure Front Door is a global layer-7 load balancer and application delivery network that can route based on latency, but it terminates HTTP/HTTPS traffic at the edge. The requirement states that the solution must not require terminating HTTP traffic, making Front Door less suitable than Traffic Manager.
- ✗
Azure Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Azure Load Balancer is a regional layer-4 load balancer that distributes incoming traffic across virtual machines in the same region. It does not provide global routing based on geographic latency or DNS-level traffic management.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Front Door's global Layer 7 capabilities with DNS-level routing, but Front Door terminates HTTP traffic and is not a pure DNS-based solution, making Traffic Manager the correct choice when HTTP termination is not allowed.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Traffic Manager uses DNS resolution to direct client traffic to the most appropriate endpoint based on the chosen routing method (e.g., Performance, Geographic, Priority). Under the hood, it responds to DNS queries with the IP address of the endpoint that is closest to the client in terms of latency, leveraging the Azure network's global latency tables. A subtle behavior is that Traffic Manager does not see the actual HTTP traffic; it only influences the initial DNS resolution, meaning client-side DNS caching can affect routing responsiveness.
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
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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 Traffic Manager — Azure Traffic Manager is a DNS-based traffic load balancer that routes incoming DNS requests to the most appropriate endpoint based on the traffic-routing method selected. The 'Performance' routing method directs users to the region with the lowest network latency, and because it operates at the DNS level, it does not terminate HTTP traffic, meeting all stated requirements.
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.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on AZ-900
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 global e-commerce company runs its website on Azure virtual machines in two different Azure regions: West US and East US. The company wants to distribute incoming web traffic to the region that provides the lowest latency for each user. Additionally, if one region becomes unavailable, all traffic should automatically fail over to the healthy region. The solution must not require any changes to the web application code. Which Azure service should the company use?
medium- ✓ A.Azure Traffic Manager
- B.Azure Load Balancer
- C.Azure Application Gateway
- D.Azure Front Door
Why A: Azure Traffic Manager is a DNS-based traffic load balancer that directs incoming web traffic to the region with the lowest latency based on the user's DNS resolver location. It supports automatic failover by routing traffic to the next healthy endpoint if a region becomes unavailable, and it requires no changes to the web application code because it operates at the DNS level.
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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