DP-203 Practice Question: Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing
You manage an Azure Synapse Analytics workspace with a dedicated SQL pool. The security team requires that all data stored in the dedicated SQL pool be encrypted with a customer-managed key (CMK) stored in Azure Key Vault. You need to configure transparent data encryption (TDE) to use the CMK. What should you do first?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that enabling a security feature like Azure Defender for SQL or a private endpoint automatically satisfies encryption key management requirements.
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
✓
Create an Azure Key Vault and grant the Synapse workspace managed identity get, wrapKey, and unwrapKey permissions.
Configuring TDE with a customer-managed key in Azure Synapse Analytics dedicated SQL pool requires that the key exists in Azure Key Vault and that the Synapse workspace's managed identity has the necessary permissions (get, wrapKey, unwrapKey) on that key. Without these permissions, the SQL pool cannot access the key to encrypt or decrypt the database encryption key. Therefore, creating the Key Vault and granting permissions is the essential first step before enabling CMK-based TDE.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Enable double encryption at rest for the dedicated SQL pool.
Why it's wrong here
Double encryption at rest is an infrastructure-level encryption feature that uses two layers of encryption, but it does not involve customer-managed keys in Key Vault. It is platform-managed and does not meet the requirement to use a CMK. Additionally, double encryption is configured at the service level, not per dedicated SQL pool, and does not replace TDE with CMK.
- ✓
Create an Azure Key Vault and grant the Synapse workspace managed identity get, wrapKey, and unwrapKey permissions.
Why this is correct
To use a customer-managed key for TDE in a dedicated SQL pool, you must first provision an Azure Key Vault, store the key there, and grant the Synapse workspace's managed identity the necessary permissions (get, wrapKey, unwrapKey) so that the SQL pool can access and use the key for encryption. This is a prerequisite before configuring TDE to use the CMK.
- ✗
Enable Azure Defender for SQL on the workspace.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Defender for SQL provides threat detection and vulnerability assessment; it does not enable or configure TDE with a customer-managed key. While it is a security feature, it operates independently of encryption key management and does not satisfy the requirement to use a CMK stored in Key Vault for TDE. Enabling it would not move the solution toward the encryption goal.
- ✗
Configure a private endpoint for the Azure Key Vault.
Why it's wrong here
A private endpoint restricts network access to Key Vault but does not grant the Synapse workspace the required permissions to use the key for TDE. While private endpoints enhance security, they are not a prerequisite for CMK-based TDE. The primary requirement is that the workspace identity has the correct access policies or RBAC roles on the key vault.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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.