- A
Azure Virtual Network Peering
Why wrong: Azure Virtual Network Peering connects two virtual networks together, enabling traffic between them. It does not provide remote desktop or SSH connectivity to individual VMs, nor does it address the requirement of securing RDP/SSH access from the internet without public IPs.
- B
Azure Bastion
Azure Bastion is a fully managed service that provides secure RDP and SSH access to Azure VMs directly from the Azure portal, using TLS over the internet. It is deployed inside the virtual network and does not require public IP addresses on the VMs, perfectly meeting the security policy requirements.
- C
Azure VPN Gateway
Why wrong: Azure VPN Gateway is used to create site-to-site or point-to-site VPN connections between on-premises networks and Azure. While it does allow secure access to VMs, it typically requires public IP addresses on the gateway, and VMs often still need public IPs for direct RDP/SSH unless additional routing is configured. It is not the optimal managed service for this specific scenario and still exposes the gateway to the internet.
- D
Azure ExpressRoute
Why wrong: Azure ExpressRoute provides a private, dedicated connection from an on-premises network to Azure, bypassing the public internet. However, it does not directly enable RDP/SSH access from the internet, and it requires significant on-premises infrastructure. It is not a fully managed solution for remote administrator access over the internet.
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 has deployed several virtual machines in an Azure virtual network. The IT administrators need to connect to these VMs using RDP and SSH from the internet. However, the company's security policy prohibits assigning any public IP addresses to the VMs and also prohibits exposing the VMs directly to the internet. The solution must be fully managed by Azure and require no additional infrastructure in the virtual network. 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 PaaS service that provides secure and seamless RDP/SSH connectivity to virtual machines directly in the Azure portal over TLS. It eliminates the need for public IP addresses on the VMs and does not require any additional infrastructure in the virtual network, as it is deployed inside the virtual network and uses a private IP to connect to the VMs.
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 Virtual Network Peering
- ✓
Azure Bastion
Why this is correct
Azure Bastion is a fully managed service that provides secure RDP and SSH access to Azure VMs directly from the Azure portal, using TLS over the internet. It is deployed inside the virtual network and does not require public IP addresses on the VMs, perfectly meeting the security policy 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 site-to-site or point-to-site VPN connections between on-premises networks and Azure. While it does allow secure access to VMs, it typically requires public IP addresses on the gateway, and VMs often still need public IPs for direct RDP/SSH unless additional routing is configured. It is not the optimal managed service for this specific scenario and still exposes the gateway to the internet.
- ✗
Azure ExpressRoute
Why it's wrong here
Azure ExpressRoute provides a private, dedicated connection from an on-premises network to Azure, bypassing the public internet. However, it does not directly enable RDP/SSH access from the internet, and it requires significant on-premises infrastructure. It is not a fully managed solution for remote administrator access over the internet.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Bastion with a VPN gateway or jump box, thinking any VPN solution satisfies the 'no public IP' requirement, but Azure Bastion is the only fully managed service that provides RDP/SSH access without any public IP on the VMs and without additional infrastructure.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Azure VPN Gateway is used to create site-to-site or point-to-site VPN connections between on-premises networks and Azure. While it does allow secure access to VMs, it typically requires public IP addresses on the gateway, and VMs often still need public IPs for direct RDP/SSH unless additional routing is configured. It is not the optimal managed service for this specific scenario and still exposes the gateway to the internet.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Bastion uses a hardened RDP/SSH gateway that is provisioned inside the virtual network, connecting to VMs via private IPs over port 443 (TLS). It leverages Azure's built-in role-based access control (RBAC) and Azure Active Directory authentication, and it supports multi-factor authentication (MFA) without exposing any public endpoints on the VMs. A real-world scenario is a financial services company that must comply with PCI DSS by ensuring no VM has a public IP, yet administrators need remote access for patching and troubleshooting.
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.
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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 PaaS service that provides secure and seamless RDP/SSH connectivity to virtual machines directly in the Azure portal over TLS. It eliminates the need for public IP addresses on the VMs and does not require any additional infrastructure in the virtual network, as it is deployed inside the virtual network and uses a private IP to connect to the VMs.
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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