AZ-305 Question 242
Single answerYour company hosts an e-commerce platform with front-end web applications deployed in multiple Azure regions. To ensure high availability, they want to direct customers to the region closest to them for the lowest latency. They also require layer 7 path-based routing and SSL termination at the edge, along with the ability to integrate a web application firewall (WAF). Which Azure service best meets these requirements?
- A
Azure Load Balancer
- B
Azure Traffic Manager
- C
Azure Front Door
- D
Azure Application Gateway
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
For globally distributed applications needing layer 7 routing, SSL offload, and WAF support, Azure Front Door is typically recommended. It enables latency-based routing and terminates SSL at the edge, which helps reduce latency and simplify the configuration process. While Azure Traffic Manager can distribute traffic globally, it does not directly provide SSL termination or layer 7 routing. Azure Load Balancer only operates at layer 4 and is region-bound, and Azure Application Gateway is also scoped to a single region. For more details on choosing the correct load-balancing solution, refer to the official Microsoft Azure documentation: https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/architecture/guide/technology-choices/load-balancing-overview.
- A. Incorrect.
Azure Load Balancer operates at layer 4 (TCP/UDP) and is scoped to a single region. It does not support global routing, path-based rules, or direct SSL termination at the edge, making it unsuitable for distributed, layer 7 routing needs.
- B. Incorrect.
Azure Traffic Manager is a DNS-based load balancing service that can route requests globally but does not handle SSL termination or path-based routing by itself. You would need to use it in combination with other services for these capabilities, which adds complexity.
- C. Correct.
Azure Front Door is a global, layer 7 load-balancing solution that offers SSL termination, WAF integration, and path-based routing. It routes users to the closest region and provides the features required in this scenario, making it the best fit.
- D. Incorrect.
Azure Application Gateway provides layer 7 load balancing, SSL termination, and WAF capabilities, but it is region-specific. It is not designed for global routing across multiple Azure regions.