Domain: Design Infrastructure Solutions
30–35% of the exam. Skills outline as of April 17, 2026.
Domain Progress
Topics
| Topic | Covers | Tips | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| VMs & Scale Sets | Availability sets · Zones · VMSS Flexible/Uniform · Cost options | Quiz | |
| App Service & Functions | Functions hosting plans · App Service tiers · Durable Functions · Logic Apps | Quiz | |
| Containers | ACI · Container Apps · AKS · App Service | Quiz | |
| Batch Processing | Azure Batch · Spot vs dedicated nodes · HPC | Quiz | |
| Messaging & Events | Event Grid · Event Hubs · Service Bus · Storage Queues | Quiz | |
| API Management | Tiers · VNet options · Self-hosted gateway · Policies | Quiz | |
| Caching & CDN | Azure Managed Redis · Front Door caching · APIM cache | Quiz | |
| Configuration & Deployment | App Configuration · Key Vault refs · IaC · Deployment Stacks | Quiz | |
| Migrations | CAF strategies · Azure Migrate · DMS · Data Box | Quiz | |
| Network Topology & Outbound | Hub-spoke · Virtual WAN · Peering · NAT Gateway | Quiz | |
| Hybrid Connectivity | VPN Gateway · ExpressRoute · Global Reach · Metro | Quiz | |
| Load Balancing | Front Door · Traffic Manager · Application Gateway · Load Balancer | Quiz | |
| Network Security | Azure Firewall · DDoS · Bastion · Private Endpoint · NSG/ASG | Quiz | |
| Top domain traps (below) | Highest-yield rules |
Top Domain Traps
“Connection must not traverse the internet” → ExpressRoute. Trap: VPN is encrypted but uses the internet.
“On-prem users reach PaaS privately” → Private Endpoint. Trap: Service Endpoints don't work from on-prem.
“Global + HTTP(S) + WAF” → Front Door; regional = Application Gateway. Trap: Traffic Manager is DNS only.
“Microservices, minimal ops, scale to zero” → Container Apps; need the Kubernetes API = AKS.
“New serverless functions with VNet” → Flex Consumption. Trap: Consumption is legacy.
“Ordered, transactional messages” → Service Bus; telemetry streams = Event Hubs; reactive events = Event Grid.
“New virtual network (API version after Mar 31, 2026) has no internet” → Explicit outbound: NAT Gateway (new virtual networks default to private subnets). Trap: Existing virtual networks aren't modified.
“Interruptible batch at lowest cost” → Spot VMs (low-priority is retired).
“Lock down a deployed landing zone” → Deployment Stacks with deny settings. Trap: Blueprints is retiring.
“Old SKU vs new SKU both listed as options” → Pick the current one: Standard LB, App Gateway v2, VpnGw AZ, Front Door Std/Premium, Azure Managed Redis.
⚠️ Retirement Watch
Older question banks may still use these. If a current replacement is offered as an option, pick the replacement. The full list is on the Retirement Timeline page.
| Retired / retiring | Date | Exam answer now |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Load Balancer, Basic public IP | Sep 30, 2025 | Standard LB / Standard IP |
| Batch low-priority VMs | Sep 30, 2025 | Spot VMs |
| Azure Data Studio (hosted the Azure SQL Migration extension) | Retired Feb 28, 2026 | DMS via portal / PowerShell / CLI; assessment via SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc |
| DMS (classic), SQL Server scenarios | Mar 15, 2026 | DMS via portal / PowerShell / CLI |
| Default outbound access for new virtual networks (API versions after Mar 31, 2026) | Mar 31, 2026 | Explicit outbound: NAT Gateway |
| App Gateway v1 | Apr 28, 2026 | App Gateway v2 |
| VPN Gateway non-AZ SKUs | Migration through Sep 2026 | VpnGw1–5 AZ |
| Azure Blueprints | Jan 31, 2027 | Deployment Stacks + Template Specs |
| Front Door (classic) | Mar 31, 2027 | Front Door Standard / Premium |
| Redis Enterprise and Enterprise Flash tiers | Mar 2027 (notices: Mar 30 / Mar 31) | Azure Managed Redis |
| CDN Standard from Microsoft (classic) | Sep 30, 2027 | Front Door Standard / Premium |
| Functions Linux Consumption; Redis Basic/Std/Premium | Sep 30, 2028 | Flex Consumption; Azure Managed Redis |
| AKS Azure Linux 2.0 node images | Removed Oct 31, 2026 | AzureLinux3 (upgrade node pools) |
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Original study notes based on the public Microsoft skills outline and Microsoft Learn documentation. Not affiliated with Microsoft; not actual exam content.