- A
Configure a firewall rule to allow only the application's IP address.
Why wrong: Firewall rules do not control read/write permissions.
- B
Configure an access control list (ACL) that grants execute and write permissions to the application's service principal.
ACLs allow fine-grained write-only access without read or list.
- C
Generate a shared access signature (SAS) with write and list permissions.
Why wrong: SAS can be scoped, but write-only is not typical.
- D
Assign the Storage Blob Data Contributor role at the storage account level.
Why wrong: This role includes read and list permissions.
Question 828 of 851
How to Grant Write-Only Access Using ACLs in ADLS Gen2
This DP-203 practice question tests your understanding of secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 uses Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 with hierarchical namespace enabled. They need to restrict a specific application's access to only write files in a particular directory without being able to read or list files. Which type of permission should be assigned?
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 an access control list (ACL) that grants execute and write permissions to the application's service principal.
Option B is correct because Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 uses POSIX-style ACLs that allow granular permissions. To restrict an application to write-only access without read or list, you grant execute (for directory traversal) and write permissions on the target directory via an ACL entry for the application's service principal. Option A is incorrect because firewall rules control network access, not data permissions. Option C is incorrect because a SAS with list permission would allow listing; write-only SAS is not easily achievable at directory level. Option D is incorrect because the Storage Blob Data Contributor role at the account level grants read, write, and delete permissions, not write-only.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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 firewall rule to allow only the application's IP address.
Why it's wrong here
Firewall rules do not control read/write permissions.
- ✓
Configure an access control list (ACL) that grants execute and write permissions to the application's service principal.
Why this is correct
ACLs allow fine-grained write-only access without read or list.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- ✗
Generate a shared access signature (SAS) with write and list permissions.
Why it's wrong here
SAS can be scoped, but write-only is not typical.
- ✗
Assign the Storage Blob Data Contributor role at the storage account level.
Why it's wrong here
This role includes read and list permissions.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
- The first matching ACL entry is used.
- There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
- Check inbound versus outbound direction.
- Read the ACL from top to bottom.
- Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Visual reference
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related DP-203 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
- →
Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All DP-203 questions
851 questions across all exam domains
- →
Microsoft Azure Data Engineer Associate DP-203 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
DP-203 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related DP-203 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing practice questions
Practise DP-203 questions linked to Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing.
Design and develop data processing practice questions
Practise DP-203 questions linked to Design and develop data processing.
Design and implement data security practice questions
Practise DP-203 questions linked to Design and implement data security.
Monitor and optimize data storage and processing practice questions
Practise DP-203 questions linked to Monitor and optimize data storage and processing.
Design and implement data storage practice questions
Practise DP-203 questions linked to Design and implement data storage.
Develop data processing practice questions
Practise DP-203 questions linked to Develop data processing.
DP-203 fundamentals practice questions
Practise DP-203 questions linked to DP-203 fundamentals.
DP-203 scenario practice questions
Practise DP-203 questions linked to DP-203 scenario.
DP-203 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise DP-203 questions linked to DP-203 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free DP-203 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DP-203 question test?
Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing — This question tests Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure an access control list (ACL) that grants execute and write permissions to the application's service principal. — Option B is correct because Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 uses POSIX-style ACLs that allow granular permissions. To restrict an application to write-only access without read or list, you grant execute (for directory traversal) and write permissions on the target directory via an ACL entry for the application's service principal. Option A is incorrect because firewall rules control network access, not data permissions. Option C is incorrect because a SAS with list permission would allow listing; write-only SAS is not easily achievable at directory level. Option D is incorrect because the Storage Blob Data Contributor role at the account level grants read, write, and delete permissions, not write-only.
What should I do if I get this DP-203 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related DP-203 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More DP-203 practice questions
- You are designing a data storage solution for IoT sensor data. The data is written thousands of times per second and req…
- A data processing job in Azure Synapse Analytics writes results to a table in the dedicated SQL pool. After a failure, t…
- A multinational corporation uses Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 to store petabytes of parquet files partitioned by date an…
- A company ingests streaming data from IoT devices into Azure Event Hubs. The data must be processed in near real-time to…
- Which THREE factors should be considered when choosing between Azure Stream Analytics and Azure Databricks for a real-ti…
- You are designing a data lake on Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2. The data will be used by both batch processing (Spark) an…
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
This DP-203 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 DP-203 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.