Question 4 of 760
DP-203 Service Principal Practice Question
Which THREE methods can you use to authenticate an Azure Data Factory pipeline to access Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2? (Choose THREE)
⚠ Common exam trap
This question tests your knowledge of all supported authentication methods. There are three valid options: service principal, SAS token, and managed identity. Candidates may mistakenly think only two are correct.
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
✓
Use a service principal with a client secret or certificate.
The correct answers are A, B, and C. Azure Data Factory supports three authentication methods for ADLS Gen2: service principal with client secret or certificate (A), SAS token (B), and managed identity (C). Service principal uses an Azure AD application. SAS tokens provide scoped access. Managed identity allows Data Factory to authenticate without storing credentials. User account (D) and storage account access key (E) are not valid for ADLS Gen2 authentication.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Use a service principal with a client secret or certificate.
Why this is correct
Service principal with client secret or certificate is a valid authentication method for ADLS Gen2.
- ✓
Use a shared access signature (SAS) token.
Why this is correct
SAS token provides delegated access to storage and is supported.
- ✓
Use a managed identity assigned to the Data Factory.
Why this is correct
Managed identity assigned to Data Factory is a secure, supported method.
- ✗
Use a user account with password.
Why it's wrong here
User account with password is not a supported authentication method for ADLS Gen2 in Data Factory.
- ✗
Use the storage account access key.
Why it's wrong here
Storage account access key is not a supported authentication method for ADLS Gen2 (it is for Blob storage but not Gen2 in ADF linked service).
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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