DP-300 Implement a secure environment Practice Question
A company manages an Azure SQL Database that stores sensitive customer data. The security team mandates that all connections to the database use Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) authentication and that no SQL authentication logins exist. You are tasked with implementing this requirement. What should you do first?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse disabling network access or removing permissions with actually changing the authentication model, but the first required step is always to establish an Microsoft Entra ID admin to enable Microsoft Entra ID authentication at the server level.
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
✓
Set an Microsoft Entra ID admin for the Azure SQL Database server.
Before you can enforce Microsoft Entra ID-only authentication, you must first designate an Microsoft Entra ID admin for the Azure SQL Database server. This admin is the only identity that can manage Microsoft Entra ID users and permissions in the database, and once set, you can then remove or disable SQL authentication logins. Without an Microsoft Entra ID admin, there is no way to authenticate or manage Microsoft Entra ID principals within the database, making the transition impossible.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Set the server's 'Public network access' to 'Disabled'.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling public network access restricts connectivity paths, not authentication method, so SQL logins remain valid over private endpoints. This suits isolating a database from the internet, not eliminating SQL authentication, which requires changing the server's authentication mode to Microsoft Entra ID only.
- ✗
Remove the server admin login from the master database.
Why it's wrong here
Removing the server admin login from master does not disable the SQL authentication method itself; new SQL logins could still be created. This is a hardening step, whereas the first action required is setting the server's authentication mode to Microsoft Entra ID only.
- ✓
Set an Microsoft Entra ID admin for the Azure SQL Database server.
Why this is correct
Setting a Microsoft Entra ID admin on the logical server is the prerequisite that enables Entra authentication; only after this can you create contained database users and remove SQL logins, satisfying the mandate that no SQL authentication exists.
- ✗
Deny the CONNECT permission to all SQL authentication logins.
Why it's wrong here
Denying CONNECT blocks existing SQL logins from connecting but leaves those logins present, so the mandate that none exist is unmet. This suits hardening access after removal, not the first step, which is disabling SQL authentication at the server level.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Securing Data at Rest and in Transit
Key term
Azure SQL Performance Tuning
Azure SQL Performance Tuning is the process of optimizing the speed and efficiency of queries and database operations in Microsoft Azure SQL Database or SQL Managed Instance to reduce latency and improve throughput.
Key term
Azure SQL Authentication
Azure SQL Authentication is the process of verifying a user's identity to access an Azure SQL database using either a username and password (SQL Authentication) or a Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) identity.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DP-300 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-300 exam.