Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
DP-203 Practice Question: Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing
Your organization uses Azure Synapse Analytics with serverless SQL pools. You need to ensure that only users with specific Microsoft Entra ID roles can query external tables referencing Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2. 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 SELECT permission on the external table to specific Microsoft Entra ID users or groups.
Granting SELECT permission on the external table directly controls which Microsoft Entra ID users or groups can query the data via the serverless SQL pool. This approach uses Azure AD authentication to restrict access at the query level, not at the storage layer. Option A is incorrect because assigning a managed identity to the serverless pool provides a service identity, but it does not restrict access per user. Option B is incorrect because Azure RBAC on the storage account grants data access at the storage level, not through the Synapse SQL engine, and does not limit querying via external tables. Option C is incorrect because the storage account firewall controls network access, not user identity, and does not prevent authorized users from other networks from querying.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Assign a managed identity to the serverless SQL pool and grant it Storage Blob Data Reader on the storage account.
Why it's wrong here
Managed identity is not tied to individual users.
- ✗
Use Azure RBAC to assign Storage Blob Data Reader role to the users on the storage account.
Why it's wrong here
This allows direct storage access, bypassing Synapse query restrictions.
- ✗
Configure a storage account firewall to allow only the Synapse workspace IP range.
Why it's wrong here
This controls network access, not user identity restrictions.
- ✓
Grant SELECT permission on the external table to specific Microsoft Entra ID users or groups.
Why this is correct
This restricts query access based on user identity.
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 |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Azure Data Engineering
Key term
Azure RBAC for Data
Azure RBAC for Data is a security system that controls who can read, write, or manage data in Azure storage services using role-based permissions.
Key term
Azure Synapse Analytics
Azure Synapse Analytics is a cloud-based data integration, warehousing, and analytics service that brings together big data and data warehouse capabilities under one platform.
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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.