DP-203 Develop data processing Practice Question
You are troubleshooting a failed Azure Synapse Pipeline execution. The pipeline uses a Copy activity to load data from an on-premises SQL Server to Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2. The error indicates a 'Connection timeout' to the on-premises source. The Integration Runtime is Self-Hosted and has been running successfully for months. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse authentication errors (which produce specific error messages like 'Login failed') with connectivity errors (which produce timeouts), leading them to incorrectly select credential-related options when the symptom is clearly a network timeout.
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
✓
The on-premises network configuration has changed.
A 'Connection timeout' error when using a Self-Hosted Integration Runtime (SHIR) that has been running successfully for months indicates a network-level issue rather than an authentication or configuration problem. The most likely cause is a change in the on-premises network configuration (e.g., firewall rules, proxy settings, or DNS changes) that prevents the SHIR from reaching the SQL Server on the specified port (typically TCP 1433). Since the SHIR is already installed and was working, the timeout points to a connectivity break, not a credential or installation issue.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The SQL Server authentication credentials have expired.
Why it's wrong here
Expired credentials produce authentication failures, not connection timeouts, because the TCP connection to the source is never established. It is tempting since credential expiry is a common pipeline failure, but it would be correct only if the error were a login failure rather than a timeout.
- ✗
The Self-Hosted Integration Runtime is not installed.
Why it's wrong here
The runtime has run successfully for months, so it is installed and registered; an absent runtime would fail immediately at pipeline start, not after months of operation. It is tempting because a missing runtime does cause connectivity failures, but the stem rules this out.
- ✓
The on-premises network configuration has changed.
Why this is correct
A self-hosted integration runtime that worked for months rules out credentials and installation faults. A connection timeout to the on-premises SQL Server therefore points to changed network configuration, such as firewall rules, routing, or proxy settings, blocking the runtime's outbound path to the source.
- ✗
The Azure Storage account firewall is blocking access.
Why it's wrong here
The storage firewall governs access to the Azure Data Lake Gen2 sink, not the on-premises SQL Server source, so it cannot cause a source connection timeout. It is tempting because firewall rules commonly block pipeline traffic, but here the failure occurs before data reaches storage.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.