DP-203 Practice Question: Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing
You have an Azure Data Factory pipeline that copies data from an on-premises SQL Server to Azure Blob Storage. The pipeline is failing with a 'Gateway is offline' error. What is the most likely cause?
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 Self-Hosted Integration Runtime is not running or cannot connect to the Azure Data Factory service.
The Self-Hosted Integration Runtime (SHIR) acts as the gateway between on-premises data sources and Azure Data Factory. If the SHIR is not running or cannot communicate with the Azure Data Factory service, the pipeline fails with a 'Gateway is offline' error. Option A is incorrect because using the Azure Integration Runtime for an on-premises source would cause a different error, not 'Gateway is offline'. Option B is incorrect because region configuration for the Azure Integration Runtime is irrelevant when a SHIR is required. Option C is incorrect because the error relates to the gateway, not to SQL Server remote connection settings.
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 Azure Integration Runtime is being used instead of a Self-Hosted Integration Runtime.
Why it's wrong here
An Azure Integration Runtime cannot reach an on-premises SQL Server; it lacks line-of-sight to private networks. It is the right choice for cloud-to-cloud copies, but the 'Gateway is offline' error indicates a self-hosted runtime exists yet is unreachable.
- ✗
The Azure Integration Runtime is not configured to use the correct region.
Why it's wrong here
Region selection affects where a cloud runtime executes and its latency to Azure services; it has no bearing on an on-premises gateway's connectivity. Choosing a region matters for data-residency or performance, not for a gateway reporting itself offline.
- ✗
The source SQL Server is not configured to allow remote connections from Azure.
Why it's wrong here
Remote-connection settings affect whether SQL Server accepts connections at all, producing authentication or network errors rather than a gateway status message. That configuration matters when connections are refused, but here the runtime itself is reported offline.
- ✓
The Self-Hosted Integration Runtime is not running or cannot connect to the Azure Data Factory service.
Why this is correct
The 'Gateway is offline' error occurs when the Self-Hosted Integration Runtime agent, which brokers connectivity between the on-premises SQL Server and Azure Data Factory, is stopped or loses outbound connectivity to the service. Restarting the runtime or restoring its network path resolves the failure.
Quick reference
Azure Blob Storage Tier Comparison
| Tier | Storage Cost | Retrieval Cost | Latency | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot | Highest | Lowest | Immediate | Active data, frequent reads |
| Cool | Lower | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / month |
| Cold | Lower still | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / quarter |
| Archive | Lowest | Highest + rehydration delay | Hours | Long-term compliance retention |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Implement Azure Data Factory Pipelines
Key term
Azure Data Factory
Azure Data Factory is a cloud-based data integration service that lets you create, schedule, and orchestrate data pipelines to move and transform data from various sources to destinations.
Key term
Data Transformation Pipelines
Data transformation pipelines are automated sequences of steps that take raw data from a source, clean and reshape it into a usable format, and then load it into a destination for analysis or storage.
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JA
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.