- A
Configure a private endpoint for the Azure SQL Managed Instance.
A private endpoint gives the managed instance a private IP in your VNet, eliminating public endpoint exposure. Only services with connectivity to that VNet (e.g., via peering or VPN) can connect, meeting both requirements.
- B
Use a virtual network service endpoint and disable public network access.
Why wrong: A service endpoint restricts access to traffic from a specific VNet, but the managed instance still has a public endpoint. While disabling public access helps, it does not provide a true private connection.
- C
Configure firewall rules to allow only the IP ranges of Azure Data Factory and deny all other traffic.
Why wrong: Firewall rules on the public endpoint can restrict IPs, but the instance remains publicly resolvable and potentially reachable if the source IP matches; this does not fully eliminate public internet exposure.
- D
Apply a service tag for Azure SQL Managed Instance in the virtual network NSG.
Why wrong: Service tags in NSGs control outbound traffic to Azure services or inbound traffic from other Azure services, but they do not configure the managed instance itself to be non-public or restrict access to specific services.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to configure a private endpoint for the Azure SQL Managed Instance. This configuration places the managed instance securely inside a virtual network using a private IP address, effectively removing it from the public internet and allowing only traffic from within that VNet or peered networks. By disabling public network access and using a managed private endpoint from Azure Data Factory, you ensure that only specific services like Data Factory can connect privately, meeting the security requirement. On the AZ-500 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of network isolation for PaaS services and the distinction between service endpoints and private endpoints—a common trap is confusing the two, as service endpoints still expose the resource to the public internet via its public endpoint. Remember the key difference: private endpoints give a private IP inside your VNet, while service endpoints only secure the route. Memory tip: “Private IP, public blocked” for private endpoints.
AZ-500 Secure compute, storage, and databases Practice Question
This AZ-500 practice question tests your understanding of secure compute, storage, and databases. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company is migrating a sensitive database to Azure SQL Managed Instance. The security team requires that the managed instance is not accessible from the public internet and that only specific Azure services, such as Azure Data Factory, can connect. Which configuration should the team implement to meet these requirements?
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
Configure a private endpoint for the Azure SQL Managed Instance.
Option A is correct because configuring a private endpoint for Azure SQL Managed Instance places the instance within a virtual network, making it inaccessible from the public internet. Private endpoints use a private IP address from the VNet, and by combining this with disabling public network access, only traffic from within the VNet or from peered networks can reach the instance. To allow specific Azure services like Azure Data Factory to connect, you can use a managed private endpoint in Data Factory that targets the SQL Managed Instance's private endpoint, ensuring secure, private connectivity without exposing the instance to the internet.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Configure a private endpoint for the Azure SQL Managed Instance.
Why this is correct
A private endpoint gives the managed instance a private IP in your VNet, eliminating public endpoint exposure. Only services with connectivity to that VNet (e.g., via peering or VPN) can connect, meeting both requirements.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a virtual network service endpoint and disable public network access.
Why it's wrong here
A service endpoint restricts access to traffic from a specific VNet, but the managed instance still has a public endpoint. While disabling public access helps, it does not provide a true private connection.
- ✗
Configure firewall rules to allow only the IP ranges of Azure Data Factory and deny all other traffic.
- ✗
Apply a service tag for Azure SQL Managed Instance in the virtual network NSG.
Why it's wrong here
Service tags in NSGs control outbound traffic to Azure services or inbound traffic from other Azure services, but they do not configure the managed instance itself to be non-public or restrict access to specific services.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse service endpoints or NSG service tags with private endpoints, not realizing that SQL Managed Instance requires a private endpoint to fully remove public internet access while still allowing specific Azure services to connect securely.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure SQL Managed Instance is deployed into a dedicated subnet of a VNet, and by default it has a public endpoint that can be disabled. A private endpoint creates a network interface with a private IP from the VNet, using Azure Private Link to route traffic privately to the instance. When public network access is disabled, all connections must go through the private endpoint, and Azure Data Factory can connect via a managed private endpoint that resolves to the instance's private IP, ensuring traffic never traverses the internet.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Secure compute, storage, and databases — study guide chapter
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AZ-500 practice test guide
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-500 question test?
Secure compute, storage, and databases — This question tests Secure compute, storage, and databases — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure a private endpoint for the Azure SQL Managed Instance. — Option A is correct because configuring a private endpoint for Azure SQL Managed Instance places the instance within a virtual network, making it inaccessible from the public internet. Private endpoints use a private IP address from the VNet, and by combining this with disabling public network access, only traffic from within the VNet or from peered networks can reach the instance. To allow specific Azure services like Azure Data Factory to connect, you can use a managed private endpoint in Data Factory that targets the SQL Managed Instance's private endpoint, ensuring secure, private connectivity without exposing the instance to the internet.
What should I do if I get this AZ-500 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This AZ-500 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft 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 AZ-500 exam.
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