Quick Answer
The answer is to configure diagnostic settings on the storage account. This is correct because diagnostic settings enable you to stream data plane audit logs—such as read, write, and delete operations—directly to a Log Analytics workspace for analysis, which is exactly what you need to audit who accesses data and when in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2. On the Microsoft Azure Data Engineer Associate DP-203 exam, this question tests your understanding of the distinction between control plane logging (Azure Activity Logs) and data plane logging (diagnostic settings), a common trap where candidates mistakenly choose Activity Logs for data access auditing. Remember: Activity Logs track who created the storage account, but diagnostic settings track who read the files inside it. A helpful memory tip is “Diagnostics for data, Activity for admin”—if you need to see actual file-level access, always configure diagnostic settings on the storage account itself.
This DP-203 practice question tests your understanding of secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Your Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 account stores sensitive data. You need to audit who accesses the data and when, and you want to send the audit logs to a Log Analytics workspace for analysis. What should you configure?
Azure Activity Logs
Why wrong: Activity Logs capture control plane events, not data access.
Microsoft Sentinel
Why wrong: Sentinel requires data sources like Log Analytics, but first you need to stream logs via diagnostic settings.
Azure Monitor alerts
Why wrong: Alerts are for notifications, not log collection.
Diagnostic settings on the storage account
Diagnostic settings enable streaming of data plane audit logs to Log Analytics.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Diagnostic settings on the storage account
Diagnostic settings on the storage account can stream audit logs (like read, write, delete) to Log Analytics. Option B is wrong because Azure Activity Logs capture control plane operations, not data plane access. Option C is wrong because Azure Monitor alerts are for notifications, not log collection. Option D is wrong because Microsoft Sentinel requires data ingestion from diagnostic settings first.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Azure Activity Logs
Why it's wrong here
Activity Logs capture control plane events, not data access.
Microsoft Sentinel
Why it's wrong here
Sentinel requires data sources like Log Analytics, but first you need to stream logs via diagnostic settings.
Azure Monitor alerts
Why it's wrong here
Alerts are for notifications, not log collection.
Diagnostic settings on the storage account
Why this is correct
Diagnostic settings enable streaming of data plane audit logs to Log Analytics.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Identify which DP-203 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing — This question tests Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Diagnostic settings on the storage account — Diagnostic settings on the storage account can stream audit logs (like read, write, delete) to Log Analytics. Option B is wrong because Azure Activity Logs capture control plane operations, not data plane access. Option C is wrong because Azure Monitor alerts are for notifications, not log collection. Option D is wrong because Microsoft Sentinel requires data ingestion from diagnostic settings first.
Identify which DP-203 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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.
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