- A
Azure Bastion
Azure Bastion is correct because it provides secure, TLS-encrypted RDP/SSH access to Azure VMs directly from the Azure portal without requiring public IPs on the VMs or any client software, meeting all of the company's requirements.
- B
Azure VPN Gateway
Why wrong: Azure VPN Gateway is used to create encrypted cross-premises or site-to-site connections over the public internet. It requires the VPN gateway to have a public IP, and typically a VPN client (such as the Azure VPN Client or a third-party client) must be installed on the administrator's device, which does not meet the 'no client software' requirement.
- C
Azure ExpressRoute
Why wrong: Azure ExpressRoute extends on-premises networks into Azure over a dedicated private connection. It does not provide direct RDP connectivity to VMs via the portal and requires on-premises network hardware and a connectivity provider, not a pure portal-based access solution.
- D
Azure Application Gateway
Why wrong: Azure Application Gateway is a web traffic load balancer that operates at Layer 7 (HTTP/HTTPS). While it can provide secure access for web applications, it is not designed for RDP/SSH connections and does not offer the direct, portal-based VM access that the scenario describes.
Quick Answer
The answer is Azure Bastion, a fully managed PaaS service that enables secure RDP and SSH access to Azure VMs without requiring any public IP addresses. It works by deploying a Bastion host directly inside your virtual network, which acts as a TLS-encrypted jump server that brokers connections from the Azure portal to your private VMs. This eliminates the need for client software on the administrator’s workstation and ensures all traffic is routed through a secure, managed service. On the AZ-900 exam, this question tests your understanding of secure remote access solutions, often appearing as a scenario where the security team mandates no public IPs and no client installation—a common trap is confusing Azure Bastion with a VPN gateway or just-in-time VM access. Remember the memory tip: “Bastion blocks public IPs, brokers browser-based RDP/SSH.”
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 runs several Azure virtual machines (VMs) in a virtual network. Administrators need to connect to these VMs using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to perform maintenance tasks. The security team mandates that the VMs must not have any public IP addresses assigned. All RDP traffic must be routed through a fully managed Azure service that provides secure TLS-based access directly from the Azure portal, without requiring any client software installation on the administrator's workstation. 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 Bastion
Azure Bastion is a fully managed Platform as a Service (PaaS) that provides secure and seamless RDP/SSH connectivity to virtual machines directly from the Azure portal over TLS. It eliminates the need for public IP addresses on the VMs by deploying a Bastion host in the same virtual network, acting as a jump server that brokers the connection. Because it requires no client software on the administrator's workstation and enforces TLS-based access, it perfectly meets the security mandate and connectivity requirements described.
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 Bastion
Why this is correct
Azure Bastion is correct because it provides secure, TLS-encrypted RDP/SSH access to Azure VMs directly from the Azure portal without requiring public IPs on the VMs or any client software, meeting all of the company's requirements.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Azure VPN Gateway
Why it's wrong here
Azure VPN Gateway is used to create encrypted cross-premises or site-to-site connections over the public internet. It requires the VPN gateway to have a public IP, and typically a VPN client (such as the Azure VPN Client or a third-party client) must be installed on the administrator's device, which does not meet the 'no client software' requirement.
- ✗
Azure ExpressRoute
Why it's wrong here
Azure ExpressRoute extends on-premises networks into Azure over a dedicated private connection. It does not provide direct RDP connectivity to VMs via the portal and requires on-premises network hardware and a connectivity provider, not a pure portal-based access solution.
- ✗
Azure Application Gateway
Why it's wrong here
Azure Application Gateway is a web traffic load balancer that operates at Layer 7 (HTTP/HTTPS). While it can provide secure access for web applications, it is not designed for RDP/SSH connections and does not offer the direct, portal-based VM access that the scenario describes.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Bastion with Azure VPN Gateway, assuming any 'secure tunnel' service can replace the need for public IPs, but VPN Gateway still requires client software and does not provide portal-based RDP access without public endpoints.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Azure Application Gateway is a web traffic load balancer that operates at Layer 7 (HTTP/HTTPS). While it can provide secure access for web applications, it is not designed for RDP/SSH connections and does not offer the direct, portal-based VM access that the scenario describes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Bastion provisions a hardened Bastion host inside the virtual network, which uses a private IP to connect to target VMs. The RDP session is encapsulated over HTTPS (port 443) and rendered in the browser via HTML5, meaning no RDP client or public IP is ever exposed. Under the hood, Bastion uses Azure's control plane to authenticate the user via Azure AD and RBAC before establishing the session, ensuring that only authorized administrators can connect.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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 Bastion — Azure Bastion is a fully managed Platform as a Service (PaaS) that provides secure and seamless RDP/SSH connectivity to virtual machines directly from the Azure portal over TLS. It eliminates the need for public IP addresses on the VMs by deploying a Bastion host in the same virtual network, acting as a jump server that brokers the connection. Because it requires no client software on the administrator's workstation and enforces TLS-based access, it perfectly meets the security mandate and connectivity requirements described.
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.
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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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