The answer is to use a Self-hosted Integration Runtime with a certificate for HTTPS. This is correct because a self-hosted IR is the only integration runtime type that can establish a connection to on-premises networks, and applying a certificate enables HTTPS encryption to secure data in transit between your on-premises SQL Server and Azure. On the DP-203 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Azure Data Factory handles hybrid connectivity and encryption at the application layer, often appearing as a distractor where candidates mistakenly choose Azure IR (which cannot access on-premises) or network-level solutions like ExpressRoute or VPN Gateway that don’t provide application-layer encryption. A common trap is assuming private network connectivity alone satisfies encryption in transit requirements, but ADF still needs the self-hosted IR with a certificate for HTTPS. Memory tip: think “On-prem needs Self, and Self needs Cert” to recall that on-premises data movement requires the self-hosted IR and a certificate for transport layer security.
DP-203 Practice Question: Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing
This DP-203 practice question tests your understanding of secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 designing an Azure Data Factory pipeline to ingest data from an on-premises SQL Server into Azure Synapse Analytics. The data must be encrypted in transit. Which integration runtime type should you use and what additional configuration is required?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use Self-hosted Integration Runtime with a certificate for HTTPS
A self-hosted integration runtime is needed to connect to on-premises networks. To encrypt data in transit, the certificate must be used for HTTPS encryption. Option A is wrong because Azure IR cannot access on-premises directly. Option C is wrong because ExpressRoute provides private connectivity but does not handle encryption at the application layer. Option D is wrong because VPNGateway is a network-level solution; ADF still needs self-hosted IR.
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.
✗
Use Azure Integration Runtime with ExpressRoute
Why it's wrong here
ExpressRoute provides private connectivity but does not encrypt ADF data in transit.
✗
Use Self-hosted Integration Runtime with Azure VPN Gateway
Why it's wrong here
VPNGateway is network-level; self-hosted IR still needs certificate for application-layer encryption.
✓
Use Self-hosted Integration Runtime with a certificate for HTTPS
Why this is correct
Self-hosted IR with certificate encrypts data in transit.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use Azure Integration Runtime with a public endpoint
Why it's wrong here
Azure IR cannot access on-premises SQL Server without a gateway.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this DP-203 question in full detail.
Identify which DP-203 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing — This question tests Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Self-hosted Integration Runtime with a certificate for HTTPS — A self-hosted integration runtime is needed to connect to on-premises networks. To encrypt data in transit, the certificate must be used for HTTPS encryption. Option A is wrong because Azure IR cannot access on-premises directly. Option C is wrong because ExpressRoute provides private connectivity but does not handle encryption at the application layer. Option D is wrong because VPN Gateway is a network-level solution; ADF still needs self-hosted IR.
What should I do if I get this DP-203 question wrong?
Identify which DP-203 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. You are designing a data pipeline in Azure Data Factory that processes streaming data from Azure Event Hubs and stores it in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2. The data must be encrypted at rest and in transit. Which configuration ensures encryption in transit?
easy
A.Enable encryption at rest using Azure Storage Service Encryption.
✓ B.Use HTTPS endpoint for Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2.
C.Configure the Azure Data Factory integration runtime to use TLS 1.2.
D.Deploy Azure Firewall to inspect traffic between Event Hubs and Data Lake.
Why B: Option C is correct because HTTPS ensures encryption in transit. Option A is wrong because encryption at rest does not cover transit. Option B is wrong because TLS is used for SQL connections, not for Data Lake. Option D is wrong because Azure Firewall does not provide encryption.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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