Databricks-DE-Assoc Implementing CI/CD Practice Question
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. A CI/CD pipeline fails with the provided error. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often guess that the error is due to network connectivity or syntax issues, overlooking that a 403 error in automated deployments is almost always a Service Principal permission deficiency.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The Service Principal lacks sufficient permissions for the workspace path.
The 403 Forbidden error indicates that the identity running the command lacks the necessary permissions to perform the action. In a CI/CD context, this usually happens because the Service Principal lacks 'Can Manage' or 'Can Edit' permissions on the target Repos folder. Ensuring the Service Principal has the correct workspace-level permissions is a standard requirement for successful automated deployments, preventing access issues during the sync process.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The branch 'main' does not exist in the remote repository.
Why it's wrong here
If the branch did not exist, the API would typically return a 404 Not Found error. The 403 Forbidden error specifically points to an authorization issue, meaning the system recognizes the request but rejects it based on the lack of granted permissions for the provided identity in the Databricks workspace.
- ✓
The Service Principal lacks sufficient permissions for the workspace path.
Why this is correct
A 403 Forbidden status code confirms that the authentication was successful, but the authorized identity is not permitted to perform the specific operation. This is a common permission-management issue in CI/CD where the automation identity hasn't been granted access to the specific Repos folder in the Databricks workspace.
- ✗
The Databricks CLI is not installed on the runner.
Why it's wrong here
If the CLI were not installed, the runner would return a 'command not found' error. The system successfully executed the 'databricks repos update' command and reached the Databricks API, which subsequently returned an error, confirming that the tool itself is operational but lacks the necessary workspace access rights.
- ✗
The Git repository URL is invalid.
Why it's wrong here
An invalid repository URL would result in a connection or authentication failure with the Git provider, not a 403 Forbidden error from the Databricks API. The error clearly originates from the Databricks workspace interaction layer, pointing directly to a local workspace permission configuration issue rather than an external Git issue.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Databricks exam blueprint
This Databricks-DE-Assoc practice question is part of Courseiva's free Databricks certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the Databricks-DE-Assoc exam.