DP-203 Practice Question: Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing
You are designing a data processing solution in Azure Synapse Analytics. The solution must ensure that data at rest in a dedicated SQL pool is encrypted using customer-managed keys (CMK) stored in Azure Key Vault. The encryption should be enabled at the database level. What should you configure?
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
✓
Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) with a customer-managed key in Azure Key Vault.
Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) with a customer-managed key in Azure Key Vault provides database-level encryption for dedicated SQL pools in Azure Synapse Analytics. TDE encrypts data at rest, and using a customer-managed key (CMK) allows the organization to control the key lifecycle. Option B is incorrect because Azure Purview is for data governance and classification, not encryption. Option C is incorrect because Azure Disk Encryption encrypts VM disks, not the SQL pool database. Option D is incorrect because Always Encrypted is a column-level encryption feature, not for full database encryption.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) with a customer-managed key in Azure Key Vault.
Why this is correct
TDE with a customer-managed key in Azure Key Vault encrypts data at rest at the database level in a dedicated SQL pool, satisfying the CMK and database-scope constraints. The key wraps the database encryption key, giving you control over the protector.
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Azure Purview data classification and encryption policies.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Purview classifies and catalogues data and applies governance policies, but it does not perform the transparent data-at-rest encryption of a dedicated SQL pool using customer-managed keys. It is tempting because it integrates with Azure Key Vault for sensitivity labelling, which is the right choice when governing and discovering data rather than encrypting it.
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Azure Disk Encryption on the nodes hosting the dedicated SQL pool.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Disk Encryption encrypts the OS and data disks of the underlying node VMs, not the dedicated SQL pool database itself, and it cannot use customer-managed keys at the database level. It is tempting because it protects data at rest, which is correct for IaaS virtual machines rather than a Synapse dedicated SQL pool.
- ✗
Always Encrypted with keys stored in Azure Key Vault.
Why it's wrong here
Always Encrypted protects column data in transit, in memory and at rest from the database engine, but it cannot satisfy the requirement for database-level encryption of the dedicated SQL pool with customer-managed keys. It is tempting because it uses Azure Key Vault keys, yet it is correct when protecting specific sensitive columns from DBAs.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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