Databricks-GenAI-Assoc Assembling and Deploying Apps Practice Question
Which component of a Databricks Asset Bundle (DAB) allows you to define different configurations (e.g., instance sizes, variables) for development versus production environments?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often look for 'environment' or 'config' blocks. They fail to identify 'targets' as the specific section in the DAB schema used for environment-specific infrastructure overrides.
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 'targets' block
The 'targets' block in the 'databricks.yml' file allows developers to define environment-specific configurations. This enables a single bundle to adapt to different workspaces or compute needs. By using targets, you can ensure that development deployments are lightweight and cost-effective, while production deployments are scaled for high availability and performance, all while keeping the underlying application code identical across all deployment stages.
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 'variables' block at the top level
Why it's wrong here
While the 'variables' block defines the parameters that can be passed to a bundle, it does not inherently apply these settings to different environments. The 'targets' block is specifically designed to apply these values and other resource overrides to specific deployment contexts, making it the correct structural component.
- ✓
The 'targets' block
Why this is correct
Targets allow you to define environment-specific overrides for a deployment. You can specify a different workspace, job cluster configuration, or variable values for 'dev', 'staging', and 'prod'. This mechanism ensures the bundle remains portable while allowing the necessary infrastructure adjustments required for each distinct environment's performance and cost profile.
- ✗
The 'resources' block
Why it's wrong here
The 'resources' block defines the actual Databricks objects to be created, such as jobs or pipelines. While it contains the definitions, it is not where you manage the environment-specific configurations or overrides. The 'targets' block manages how these resources are instantiated for a given deployment environment.
- ✗
The 'include' directive
Why it's wrong here
The 'include' directive is used to modularize the 'databricks.yml' file by importing other YAML files. It is a structural tool for code organization, not a mechanism for defining environment-specific configurations or applying deployment overrides based on the target environment. It does not handle conditional resource management.
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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
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