AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator Exam

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Practice Test

Exam

Configure service endpoints for Azure platform as a service

Implement Service Endpoints for Secure Access

Virtual Network service endpoints provide a means to connect securely and directly to Azure services without going through the public internet. This is accomplished by using an optimized route within the Azure backbone network, allowing private IP addresses in the virtual network to reach Azure service endpoints seamlessly.

Key Benefits

Service endpoints offer several significant advantages. One major benefit is improved security. By extending the virtual network's identity to Azure services, users can secure their Azure service resources to their virtual network. This means public internet access to resources is cut off, allowing traffic only from designated virtual networks. Additionally, optimized routing ensures that all traffic from your virtual network to the Azure service remains on Microsoft Azure's backbone network, avoiding the public internet entirely.

Another essential tool for secure and private access to Azure services is Azure Private Link. This feature deploys a network interface into a virtual network to directly access services such as Azure Storage or Azure SQL. It offers several benefits:

  • Private access: It allows connections via private endpoints, eliminating the need for a public IP.
  • Enhanced security: It confines service resource access to a private endpoint, preventing public internet exposure.
  • Protection against data leakage: By mapping a private endpoint to a specific instance of a PaaS resource, broader access to other resources in the service is blocked.

Service Endpoint Availability

Service endpoints have broad availability across various Azure services and regions. They are offered for:

  • Azure Storage, Azure SQL Database, Azure Cosmos DB, and Azure Key Vault, with availability in all Azure regions.
  • Azure Service Bus, which is accessible in all regions.
  • Azure App Service, available in all regions where the App Service exists.

Conclusion

In conclusion, configuring service endpoints for Azure platform services is a critical strategy for ensuring secure access within virtual networks. This method keeps traffic entirely within the Azure backbone network, enhancing security and optimizing resource access without exposing them to the public internet.