Azure Traffic Manager
What it is
Azure Traffic Manager is a DNS-based, global traffic router that distributes traffic across endpoints in different regions/endpoints (VMs, LBs, App Gateways, cloud services, web apps, or even external endpoints) entirely at the DNS level — no single Azure resource sits inline.
Why it exists
For global availability and latency, you want users directed to the best region (closest, fastest, or available one). Because it operates on DNS (not proxying or L4/L7), Traffic Manager can send users to entirely different regions/services without a gateway in the path — giving regional failover and geographic performance steering.
Key ideas
- Routing methods: Priority (primary/backup failover), Weighted (proportion of traffic), Performance (closest/least latency), Geographic (route by user location), Multi-value (return multiple healthy endpoints), Subnet (route specific client IPs).
- Endpoints — Azure or external; endpoint monitoring via health checks that mark a profile/endpoint Enabled/Disabled/Degraded.
- DNS-based: users are returned a DNS name that resolves to the chosen endpoint; no proxying, so no added connection latency.
- Good for regional failover across availability/recovery; complements but does not do L4/L7 offload or SSL termination.
How it fits
[users worldwide]
│ DNS query → returns best endpoint IP
▼
[Traffic Manager profile (DNS)]
│ Performance routing
├──→ [region 1 LB] [region 2 LB] [region 3 LB]
(endpoints monitored for health)
Exam notes
- Traffic Manager = DNS-level, global routing; no inline proxy, no SSL, no L4/L7 — routing methods/questions are the core.
- Compare with Front Door (L7/global proxy + WAF) and Load Balancer (L4, regional).
- Priority/Weighted/Performance/Geographic methods are exam staples.
Related
Home · azure-front-door · load-balancer · application-gateway · azure-dns
📘 Source: Microsoft Learn — Traffic Manager