DP-203 Practice Question: Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing
You need to secure access to an Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 account. Which THREE methods can you use to authenticate and authorize access?
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
✓
Shared access signatures (SAS).
Shared access signatures (SAS), access control lists (ACLs), and Azure RBAC roles are all valid methods to authenticate and authorize access to Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2. SAS tokens provide delegated access, ACLs control permissions at the file/directory level, and RBAC roles provide role-based permissions at the storage account or container level. SQL connection strings are used for Azure SQL Database, not ADLS Gen2. Managed identities are identities, not authorization methods; they can be used with RBAC but are not a direct method themselves.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
SQL connection strings.
Why it's wrong here
Connection strings are not used for Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2.
- ✓
Shared access signatures (SAS).
Why this is correct
SAS tokens provide delegated access to resources.
- ✗
Managed identities.
Why it's wrong here
Managed identities are used to authenticate but not a direct authorization method; they must be assigned RBAC roles.
- ✓
Access control lists (ACLs).
Why this is correct
ACLs provide fine-grained access control at the file and directory level.
- ✓
Azure RBAC roles.
Why this is correct
RBAC roles provide coarse-grained access control.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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