How does AZ-104 handle networking and connectivity topics?

Networking in AZ-104 is presented as a core administrator responsibility rather than a specialist-only topic. The program starts with fundamental virtual networking constructs and expands into security, connectivity, and traffic management decisions that affect service reliability.The virtual networking module covers virtual networks and subnets, which establish segmentation and routing boundaries. It also addresses IP addressing concepts and the supporting services used in day-to-day administration, including Azure DNS. Security controls appear as part of this foundation, including network security groups and Azure Firewall. These controls determine what can communicate, how traffic is filtered, and how administrators implement baseline protections at the network layer.Connectivity is handled in a dedicated intersite module. The page lists VNet peering, Virtual Network Gateways, and Site-to-Site Connections as key topics. It also references ExpressRoute and Virtual WAN as connectivity options. This mix reflects the real-world need to choose a connectivity approach that matches latency, reliability, and operational constraints, especially when linking Azure to on-premises environments.Traffic management expands the scope into routing and platform services that steer traffic. The program includes network routing and service endpoints, and it references Azure Load Balancer and Azure Application Gateway. These services can be central to application availability and performance, and administrators often need to understand their purpose even when other teams own the application configuration.The module outcomes emphasize implementation: configuring VNets and subnets, configuring security controls, configuring firewalls and DNS, configuring peering and gateways, selecting connectivity approaches, and configuring traffic management services. Together, these topics build the ability to implement and operate network foundations that support Azure workloads.