This is a fundamental step in enhancing web application security in Azure. This article summarizes the process of setting up an Azure Application Gateway and highlights its key aspects, focused on gearing for the AZ-500 Microsoft Azure Security Technologies exam.
What is Azure Application Gateway?
Before jumping into the configuration process, it is crucial to understand what Azure Application Gateway is. It is a web traffic load balancer that enables you to manage traffic to your web applications. Essentially, it works at the application layer (Layer 7) of the OSI model thus providing more advanced routing capabilities.
How to Create an Azure Application Gateway
Here are the key steps involved in configuring an Azure Application Gateway:
Step 1: Create a Virtual Network
As the first step, you need to create a virtual network. Visit the Azure portal, navigate to “Virtual Networks” and click “Add”.
az network vnet create \
–name myVNet \
–resource-group myResourceGroup \
–location eastus \
–address-prefix 10.0.0.0/16 \
–subnet-name myBackendSubnet \
–subnet-prefix 10.0.1.0/24
In the above code, `myVNet` is the name of the virtual network, `myResourceGroup` is the resource group name, and `myBackendSubnet` is the subnet.
Step 2: Create an Application Gateway
Once the virtual network is set up, navigate to the Azure portal, head to “Create a Resource,” look for “Application Gateway” in the marketplace and select “Create.”
az network public-ip create \
–resource-group myResourceGroup \
–name myAGPublicIPAddress \
–allocation-method Dynamic
Here `myAGPublicIPAddress` is the public IP address of the Application Gateway.
Then you can proceed to provide details such as name, tier, SKU size, and instance count for the gateway.
Step 3: Configure Backend Pools
Backend pools represent the back-end servers that serve requests. These can be grouped into pools for efficient routing and load balancing.
Step 4: Configure Routing Rules
Routing rules define how traffic is directed. Rule can be based on different parameters like the incoming URL or other routing information.
Key aspects of Azure Application Gateway
There are a few notable characteristics of Azure Application Gateway which distinguish it from other similar Azure services:
- Web application firewall (WAF): Azure Application Gateway offers a web application firewall that provides centralized protection for web applications from common exploits and vulnerabilities.
- SSL termination: Azure Application Gateway supports SSL termination at the gateway, reducing the SSL processing load on the web servers.
- Cookie-based session affinity: Useful for situations where you want to keep a user session on the same server.
- URL path-based routing: This allows routing of traffic based on the incoming URL path, which is a more refined way of load balancing.
- Websocket and HTTP/2 traffic: Application Gateway is built to handle newer web protocols that are long-lived and persistent for real-time applications.
Through this guide, you understand how to configure an Azure Application Gateway and its main features, making it an invaluable resource for the AZ-500 Microsoft Azure Security Technologies exam.
Keep practicing and deep diving into other Azure services for a cohesive understanding of Azure Security Technologies. Best of luck for your AZ-500 exam preparation!
Practice Test
Azure Application Gateway provides a web traffic load balancer service.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: a) True
Explanation: Azure Application Gateway provides a web traffic load balancer service that enables users to manage traffic to their web applications.
Azure Application Gateway does not support cookie-based session affinity.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False
Explanation: Azure Application Gateway does support cookie-based session affinity, allowing users to keep a user session on the same server.
Which of the following are features of Azure Application Gateway?
- a) SSL termination
- b) Routing based on URL path
- c) Autoscaling
- d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
Explanation: Azure Application Gateway provides multiple features including SSL termination, routing based on URL path and autoscaling.
Azure Application Gateway does not support WebSocket and HTTP/2 protocols.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False
Explanation: Azure Application Gateway does support WebSocket and HTTP/2 protocols.
Azure Application Gateway can be integrated with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: a) True
Explanation: Azure Application Gateway can be integrated with AKS for more advanced routing scenarios.
It’s not possible to generate SSL certificates in Azure Key Vault and import them for use in Application Gateway.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False
Explanation: SSL certificates can indeed be generated in Azure Key Vault and imported for use in Application Gateway.
Web Application Firewall (WAF) in Azure Application Gateway protects web applications from common web-based attacks.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: a) True
Explanation: WAF in Azure Application Gateway protects web applications from common threats and vulnerabilities.
Which tier of Azure Application Gateway includes the Web Application Firewall feature?
- a) Basic
- b) Standard
- c) Standard_v2
- d) None of the above
Answer: c) Standard_v2
Explanation: The Web Application Firewall feature is included in the Standard_v2 tier of Azure Application Gateway.
Azure Application Gateway does not support redirection of traffic.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False
Explanation: Azure Application Gateway supports redirection of traffic, allowing users to direct user traffic based on specific needs.
It’s possible to use Private Link for secure access to Azure Application Gateway over a private network.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: a) True
Explanation: Azure Application Gateway can indeed use Private Link for secure access over a private network.
Azure Application Gateway cannot be used with Azure Front Door.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False
Explanation: Azure Application Gateway can be used with Azure Front Door for content delivery and secure access.
HTTPS listeners in Azure Application Gateway cannot be created for secure web application hosting.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False
Explanation: HTTPS listeners can be created in Azure Application Gateway for secure web application hosting.
When configuring Azure Application Gateway, what setting can be used to distribute traffic evenly among servers?
- a) Round-robin
- b) Session Threshold
- c) Server Priority
- d) Load Balancer
Answer: a) Round-robin
Explanation: The Round-robin setting can be used to distribute traffic evenly among servers.
Azure Application Gateway cannot be integrated with Azure Logic Apps.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False
Explanation: Azure Application Gateway can be integrated with Azure Logic Apps for creating automated tasks and workflows.
It’s not possible to use custom health probes in Azure Application Gateway.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False
Explanation: Custom health probes can be used in Azure Application Gateway to check the health of specific backend resources.
Interview Questions
What is the primary purpose of Azure Application Gateway?
Azure Application Gateway is a load balancer that manages traffic to web applications. It is designed primarily to route web traffic based on URL paths.
What are the two tiers offered in Azure Application Gateway?
Azure Application Gateway is offered in two tiers: Standard and Web Application Firewall (WAF).
Which method does Azure Application Gateway use to secure web applications?
Azure Application Gateway uses Web Application Firewall (WAF) to secure web applications. It protects against common web attacks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting.
How many Listeners does each Azure Application Gateway need to be configured with?
Each Azure Application Gateway needs to be configured with at least one Listener to accept incoming client connections.
Does Azure Application Gateway support the use of SSL and end-to-end SSL mode?
Yes, Azure Application Gateway supports both SSL termination (which saves processing efforts on the web application servers) as well as end-to-end SSL mode where the HTTPS request is encrypted all the way to the backend web server.
Are client IPs preserved when using Azure Application Gateway?
Yes, Azure Application Gateway supports the preservation of the original Client IP addresses of incoming client connections by using the X-Forwarded-For header.
Can Azure Application Gateway route traffic based on the URL path?
Yes, Azure Application Gateway can route traffic based on the URL path. This allows for application layer (Layer 7) routing and load balancing.
Does Azure Application Gateway support WebSocket and HTTP/2 traffic?
Yes, Azure Application Gateway natively supports WebSocket and HTTP/2 traffic.
Are Azure Application Gateways Zone redundant by default?
No, Application Gateways are not zone redundant by default. They are, however, Zone-redundant when deployed in the Standard_v2 and WAF_v2 SKUs.
Does Azure Application Gateway support multi-site hosting?
Yes, Azure Application Gateway can support multi-site hosting. This means you can configure it to route traffic to multiple web applications.
Does Azure Application Gateway support autoscaling?
Yes, as of Application Gateway v2, it supports autoscaling to scale instances based on traffic.
What is the maximum number of sites that an Azure Application Gateway can have?
An Azure Application Gateway can have a maximum of 100 sites.
Is it possible to set up a custom error page in Azure Application Gateway?
Yes, you can configure custom error pages instead of default error pages on Azure Application Gateway.
Does the Azure Application Gateway support the use of private IPs for backend pool members?
Yes, Azure Application Gateway supports both private and public IPs for backend pool members.
What is the maximum file upload size supported by the Azure Application Gateway?
The maximum file upload size supported by Azure Application Gateway is 2GB.
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