- A
Keep public network access enabled but restrict it to specific IP addresses. Use storage account keys for Azure Data Factory and Azure Databricks.
Why wrong: Using storage account keys is not least privilege and exposes keys. IP-based restriction is less secure than managed identity and still allows public access.
- B
Disable public network access. Create private endpoints for the storage account and configure Azure Data Factory and Azure Databricks to use the private endpoints. Use RBAC to assign 'Storage Blob Data Contributor' to the managed identities.
Why wrong: Private endpoints add cost and complexity; they are not required since managed identity and firewall provide sufficient security.
- C
Enable public network access with a firewall rule to allow only the Azure Data Factory and Azure Databricks IP ranges. Keep anonymous access enabled but set the containers to private.
Why wrong: Anonymous access should be fully disabled. Relying on IP ranges is not as secure as managed identity, and firewall rules can be bypassed.
- D
Disable public network access. Set the storage account firewall to allow access only from Azure services. Configure Azure Data Factory and Azure Databricks to use managed identities. Grant the managed identities the 'Storage Blob Data Contributor' role at the container level. Remove any anonymous access.
This meets security requirements, uses managed identities for authentication, and applies least privilege via RBAC.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to disable public network access, configure the storage account firewall to allow access only from Azure services, and use managed identities with the Storage Blob Data Contributor role at the container level for Azure Data Factory and Azure Databricks, while removing all anonymous access. This solution enforces the principle of least privilege by eliminating public endpoints and anonymous reads, then granting precise, role-based access via managed identities—eliminating the need for shared keys or IP management. On the DP-203 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of securing ADLS Gen2 with least privilege using managed identity authentication, a common pattern for data engineering pipelines. A frequent trap is choosing to keep public access enabled with IP restrictions, which adds administrative overhead and fails to fully secure the storage account. Remember the mnemonic “No Public, No Anonymous, Only Managed IDs” to quickly recall the three core actions: disable public network, remove anonymous access, and assign RBAC roles to managed identities.
DP-203 Design and implement data storage Practice Question
This DP-203 practice question tests your understanding of design and implement data storage. 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.
You are a data engineer for a financial services company. The company stores sensitive transaction data in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2. The data is partitioned by date and loaded daily via Azure Data Factory. Recently, an audit found that the storage account allows public network access, and some containers have anonymous read access enabled. You need to secure the storage account according to the principle of least privilege while ensuring that Azure Data Factory can still load data. You must also ensure that data can be accessed by Azure Databricks for analytics. The solution must minimize administrative overhead. Which course of action should you take?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"least"Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
Disable public network access. Set the storage account firewall to allow access only from Azure services. Configure Azure Data Factory and Azure Databricks to use managed identities. Grant the managed identities the 'Storage Blob Data Contributor' role at the container level. Remove any anonymous access.
Option D is correct because disabling public network access and using managed identities with RBAC (Storage Blob Data Contributor) aligns with the principle of least privilege while minimizing administrative overhead. Azure Data Factory and Azure Databricks can authenticate via managed identities without managing keys or IP ranges, and removing anonymous access eliminates the security gap. The firewall rule allowing access only from Azure services ensures that only Azure-internal traffic can reach the storage account, which is sufficient for these services when they are in the same region.
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.
- ✗
Keep public network access enabled but restrict it to specific IP addresses. Use storage account keys for Azure Data Factory and Azure Databricks.
Why it's wrong here
Using storage account keys is not least privilege and exposes keys. IP-based restriction is less secure than managed identity and still allows public access.
- ✗
Disable public network access. Create private endpoints for the storage account and configure Azure Data Factory and Azure Databricks to use the private endpoints. Use RBAC to assign 'Storage Blob Data Contributor' to the managed identities.
Why it's wrong here
Private endpoints add cost and complexity; they are not required since managed identity and firewall provide sufficient security.
- ✗
Enable public network access with a firewall rule to allow only the Azure Data Factory and Azure Databricks IP ranges. Keep anonymous access enabled but set the containers to private.
Why it's wrong here
Anonymous access should be fully disabled. Relying on IP ranges is not as secure as managed identity, and firewall rules can be bypassed.
- ✓
Disable public network access. Set the storage account firewall to allow access only from Azure services. Configure Azure Data Factory and Azure Databricks to use managed identities. Grant the managed identities the 'Storage Blob Data Contributor' role at the container level. Remove any anonymous access.
Why this is correct
This meets security requirements, uses managed identities for authentication, and applies least privilege via RBAC.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "least", "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often overcomplicate the solution by choosing private endpoints (Option B) or IP-based firewalls (Option A/C), not realizing that the 'Allow Azure services' firewall rule combined with managed identities provides a simpler, least-privilege-compliant path for first-party Azure services.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the 'Allow Azure services on the trusted services list to access this storage account' firewall setting leverages the Azure backbone network, bypassing public IP restrictions for services like Azure Data Factory and Azure Databricks when they use managed identities. Managed identities are tied to the resource's lifecycle in Azure AD, eliminating the need for secret rotation and providing auditable access via RBAC. In a real-world scenario, this approach is preferred for production workloads because it avoids the operational overhead of managing private endpoints while still meeting compliance requirements for network isolation.
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 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.
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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Design and implement data storage — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DP-203 question test?
Design and implement data storage — This question tests Design and implement data storage — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Disable public network access. Set the storage account firewall to allow access only from Azure services. Configure Azure Data Factory and Azure Databricks to use managed identities. Grant the managed identities the 'Storage Blob Data Contributor' role at the container level. Remove any anonymous access. — Option D is correct because disabling public network access and using managed identities with RBAC (Storage Blob Data Contributor) aligns with the principle of least privilege while minimizing administrative overhead. Azure Data Factory and Azure Databricks can authenticate via managed identities without managing keys or IP ranges, and removing anonymous access eliminates the security gap. The firewall rule allowing access only from Azure services ensures that only Azure-internal traffic can reach the storage account, which is sufficient for these services when they are in the same region.
What should I do if I get this DP-203 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "least", "minimum / minimize". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
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 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.
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