Challenge your understanding of Azure App Services and web hosting by answering 10 easy, scenario-based questions covering deployment, scalability, security, and configuration. Ideal for beginners looking to reinforce concepts in cloud application hosting and management.
Which of the following programming languages is commonly supported when deploying a web application on Azure App Services?
Explanation: JavaScript is a widely supported language for deploying web applications in modern cloud hosting environments. COBOL, Pascal, and Fortran are legacy languages that are generally not directly supported in typical cloud-based web hosting platforms without special configuration. Selecting an unsupported language would prevent easy deployment and limit access to built-in features.
What is the primary advantage of scaling a web app horizontally in a cloud service environment?
Explanation: Horizontal scaling allows you to distribute application load across multiple instances, increasing the overall capacity to serve users. Increasing the speed of a single server describes vertical scaling, not horizontal. Reducing code memory and adjusting database performance are unrelated to horizontal scaling. Horizontal scaling is ideal for managing high traffic efficiently.
Which method allows you to quickly deploy your web application to Azure App Services from your local computer?
Explanation: FTP Upload enables secure and efficient transfer of files from your local computer to the hosting environment. Telnet is not designed for uploading application files and is insecure. Emailing files is neither streamlined nor supported for deployments. Copy-pasting entire application files into a web form is impractical for complex applications.
A user needs advanced features such as custom domains and SSL support for their site. Which type of service tier should they select?
Explanation: The Basic tier generally includes custom domain and SSL capabilities necessary for professional web hosting. The Free, Entry, and Trial tiers offer limited features, typically without support for custom domains or SSL certificates. For business or production use, choosing a tier with these essential features is recommended.
Which feature should be configured to regularly protect web application data and files from accidental loss?
Explanation: Automated Backups create regular copies of your application and data, protecting against accidental loss. Automated Scaling adjusts resource allocation but does not safeguard data. Automated Testing helps validate application code, and Auto-Shutdown conserves resources but does not protect files or data. Regular backups are crucial for disaster recovery.
What is the most effective way to ensure all user communication with your web app is encrypted?
Explanation: Enforcing HTTPS guarantees that all data sent between the server and users is encrypted in transit. An HttpOnly Cookie helps protect against certain attacks but does not encrypt communication. Disabling logging and increasing server RAM are unrelated to securing network traffic. Using HTTPS is a best practice for web app security.
How can sensitive information like connection strings be managed securely in a hosted web application?
Explanation: Storing sensitive information in environment variables keeps it secure and separate from the application code. Hard-coding secrets in source code risks exposing them to unauthorized access. Including secrets in web page content or posting them online is highly insecure and should be avoided. Environment variables provide a secure and scalable method for sensitive data.
A team wants to test a new web app version without disrupting current users. Which feature helps achieve this?
Explanation: Deployment Slots allow teams to host multiple versions of an app, such as staging and production, so changes can be tested safely before going live. External DNS manages domain mappings and is unrelated to app deployment stages. Weekly Reports and Crash Dumps are for monitoring and troubleshooting, not deployment management.
What should a developer do to upgrade their web application's runtime to the latest supported version?
Explanation: Changing the runtime version setting in the platform configuration updates the environment to use the latest supported version. Deleting and recreating the site is unnecessary and loses content. Rebooting a user's device and erasing all site content do not affect the runtime version and may disrupt service. Proper configuration ensures compatibility and reliability.
Which configuration allows a web app to automatically adjust its resources based on unexpected increases in traffic?
Explanation: Auto-Scaling Rules enable automatic adjustment of computing resources to manage changes in traffic load, ensuring performance and cost efficiency. Access Control Lists manage permissions, not resource scaling. Temporary files and resource tags assist with internal management and tracking but do not affect resource allocation. Scaling settings are crucial for responding to traffic spikes effectively.