Microsoft Azure Architect Design (AZ-304) Practice Test

What is the purpose of deploying an Azure Load Balancer when transitioning certain applications to a containerized architecture?

1. To manage SQL connections

2. To enhance network security

3. To ensure traffic distribution among instances

4. To automate application updates

The correct answer is: To ensure traffic distribution among instances

The purpose of deploying an Azure Load Balancer during the transition of applications to a containerized architecture is to ensure traffic distribution among instances. Load balancing is critical in a containerized environment where multiple instances of an application might be running simultaneously. By distributing incoming network traffic evenly across these instances, the load balancer helps to optimize resource use, decrease response times, and ensure high availability of applications. In containerized environments, especially with microservices architecture, the number of application instances can vary dynamically due to scaling up or down based on demand. The load balancer facilitates seamless interaction by directing traffic to healthy instances while automatically rerouting traffic away from instances that are unhealthy or under maintenance. This ensures that users experience minimal disruption and that the application remains reliable and performant. The other options do not encompass the primary function of load balancing in this context. Managing SQL connections is more related to database management practices rather than traffic distribution. Network security enhancements often involve firewalls or network security groups, which differ from the traffic management function of a load balancer. Lastly, while automating application updates is an important aspect of DevOps practices, it is not a function associated with load balancing, which primarily focuses on routing and distributing traffic to application instances.