The answer is to add a user-defined route (UDR) in the spoke virtual network’s route table with destination api.contoso.com and next hop type Internet. This works because a UDR with a more specific destination prefix overrides the default system route that sends all traffic through the Azure Firewall, forcing the outbound traffic directly to the internet and bypassing firewall inspection entirely. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this scenario tests your ability to balance security with performance by using route-based traffic steering rather than firewall rule exceptions, which is a common trap—candidates often try to create an allow rule in the firewall policy, but that still forces traffic through the firewall appliance. The key insight is that a UDR with next hop Internet is the most efficient path because it eliminates the firewall hop entirely, reducing latency for performance-sensitive SaaS traffic. Memory tip: think “UDR to the Internet” as a direct shortcut—like taking an express lane that skips the tollbooth.
SC-100 Design security for infrastructure Practice Question
This SC-100 practice question tests your understanding of design security for infrastructure. 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 uses Azure Firewall to inspect outbound traffic from a hub virtual network. They need to ensure that traffic from a spoke virtual network to a specific SaaS application (api.contoso.com) bypasses the firewall for performance reasons. What is the most efficient way to achieve this?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Add a user-defined route (UDR) in the spoke virtual network's route table with destination api.contoso.com and next hop type 'Internet'.
Option B is correct because adding a user-defined route (UDR) with destination api.contoso.com and next hop type 'Internet' in the spoke virtual network's route table forces traffic destined for that FQDN to bypass the Azure Firewall and go directly to the internet. This is the most efficient approach as it avoids firewall inspection for performance-sensitive traffic without requiring any firewall rule changes.
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.
✗
Configure an application rule in Azure Firewall with a 'Bypass' action for api.contoso.com.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Firewall does not have a bypass action; rules are either allow or deny.
✓
Add a user-defined route (UDR) in the spoke virtual network's route table with destination api.contoso.com and next hop type 'Internet'.
Why this is correct
This bypasses the firewall by routing traffic directly to the internet.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable service endpoints for Microsoft.Storage in the spoke subnet.
Why it's wrong here
Service endpoints are for Azure PaaS services, not for SaaS applications like api.contoso.com.
✗
Create a network rule in Azure Firewall to allow traffic to api.contoso.com and deny all other traffic.
Why it's wrong here
This would still route traffic through the firewall, not bypass it.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume Azure Firewall can be configured to 'bypass' itself via a rule action, but Azure Firewall rules only allow or deny traffic—they cannot redirect traffic away from the firewall; only UDRs can change the next hop to bypass the firewall entirely.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Azure Firewall is deployed with a default route (0.0.0.0/0, next hop VirtualAppliance) in the hub's route table to inspect all outbound traffic. By adding a more specific UDR (e.g., /32 for the SaaS IP) with next hop 'Internet' in the spoke's route table, you override the default route for that specific destination, causing traffic to egress directly. Note that this requires resolving api.contoso.com to its public IP addresses and updating the UDR if the IP changes, which is a common operational challenge in dynamic SaaS environments.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-100 question in full detail.
Design security for infrastructure — This question tests Design security for infrastructure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add a user-defined route (UDR) in the spoke virtual network's route table with destination api.contoso.com and next hop type 'Internet'. — Option B is correct because adding a user-defined route (UDR) with destination api.contoso.com and next hop type 'Internet' in the spoke virtual network's route table forces traffic destined for that FQDN to bypass the Azure Firewall and go directly to the internet. This is the most efficient approach as it avoids firewall inspection for performance-sensitive traffic without requiring any firewall rule changes.
What should I do if I get this SC-100 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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