DP-203 Practice Question: Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing
You have an Azure Synapse Analytics serverless SQL pool that queries data in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2. You need to ensure that only users with specific Microsoft Entra ID groups can access the data through the serverless SQL pool. 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
✓
Grant the Microsoft Entra ID group CONNECT permission on the serverless SQL pool and configure ACLs on the storage to allow read access for the group
Controlling access involves two layers: the serverless SQL pool and the underlying storage. Users must have both CONNECT permission on the SQL pool to query and appropriate ACLs on the storage to read the data. Granting the Microsoft Entra ID group CONNECT permission and configuring ACLs on the storage account to allow read access for the group ensures that only those users can access data through the serverless SQL pool. Option A is incorrect because the Storage Blob Data Reader role alone does not grant SQL-level permissions. Option C is incorrect because firewall rules are network-level and do not provide granular user access. Option D is incorrect because SAS tokens are not recommended for user-level access and bypass Entra ID permissions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Grant the Microsoft Entra ID group the Storage Blob Data Reader role on the storage account
Why it's wrong here
Granting the group Storage Blob Data Reader on the account authorises direct access to the storage layer, bypassing the serverless SQL pool entirely, so it cannot restrict access through the pool. It is genuinely for granting data-plane reads to storage, and would be right when users query files directly.
- ✓
Grant the Microsoft Entra ID group CONNECT permission on the serverless SQL pool and configure ACLs on the storage to allow read access for the group
Why this is correct
Serverless SQL pool access is controlled at the SQL layer via CONNECT permission, while underlying ADLS Gen2 reads are authorised by POSIX ACLs. Granting both to the Microsoft Entra ID group restricts data access to those specific users.
- ✗
Configure a firewall rule to allow only the Microsoft Entra ID group IP ranges
Why it's wrong here
Firewall rules filter by network address, and Microsoft Entra ID group membership has no associated IP range, so this cannot distinguish group members. It is genuinely for restricting access to known network locations, and would be right when the requirement is limiting traffic to specific IP addresses or virtual networks.
- ✗
Use a shared access signature (SAS) token with the SQL pool and distribute it to users
Why it's wrong here
A SAS token is a bearer credential granting anyone holding it the same access, so it cannot enforce per-group identity checks through the pool. It is genuinely for delegated, time-limited access to storage resources, and would be right when sharing specific data with external parties without Entra identities.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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