DP-300 Implement a secure environment Practice Question
Which TWO actions are required to enable Microsoft Entra ID authentication for an Azure SQL Database?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is thinking that enabling Entra ID authentication is a single toggle or that assigning an RBAC role like SQL Server Contributor is sufficient; candidates often miss that contained database users must be created for non-admin Entra ID principals.
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 Server.
Option B is correct because enabling Microsoft Entra ID authentication for Azure SQL Database requires provisioning a Microsoft Entra ID administrator at the Azure SQL logical server level, which establishes the trust relationship between the server and the Entra ID tenant. Option C is correct because after the Entra ID admin is set, you must create contained database users in the target database that are mapped to Entra ID identities (for example, CREATE USER [user@domain.com] FROM EXTERNAL PROVIDER), since Entra principals authenticate at the database level via contained users rather than server-level logins. Option A is incorrect because enabling SQL Server authentication only is the opposite of what is needed and does not enable Entra ID authentication. Option D is incorrect because assigning the SQL Server Contributor RBAC role grants Azure management-plane permissions, not data-plane authentication rights inside the database. Option E is incorrect because there is no separate 'Microsoft Entra ID integration' toggle to enable on the SQL server; the Entra ID admin setting itself establishes the integration.
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 SQL Server authentication only.
Why it's wrong here
Enabling SQL Server authentication only leaves Microsoft Entra ID authentication disabled, so it cannot satisfy the requirement to enable Entra ID sign-in for the database. It is tempting because SQL logins remain a valid fallback for legacy clients, and would be correct where Entra ID integration is explicitly out of scope.
- ✓
Set an Microsoft Entra ID admin for the Azure SQL Server.
Why this is correct
Setting a Microsoft Entra ID admin at the server level is mandatory before Entra authentication can function, because Azure SQL Database derives its identity provider configuration from the logical server. Without a designated admin, the server cannot validate Entra tokens, so this action directly satisfies the prerequisite for enabling Entra authentication.
- ✓
Create contained database users mapped to Microsoft Entra ID identities.
Why this is correct
Contained database users mapped to Microsoft Entra ID identities allow the database to authenticate those principals directly, without a server-level login. This is mandatory because Azure SQL Database connections require a database user matching the Entra identity before token-based authentication can succeed.
- ✗
Assign the SQL Server Contributor role to the Entra ID users.
Why it's wrong here
SQL Server Contributor is an Azure resource-management role controlling the server resource itself, not database-level sign-in or contained-user creation, so it grants no Entra ID authentication capability. It is tempting because Contributor roles do govern server administration, and would be correct for managing the Azure SQL server's configuration.
- ✗
Enable Microsoft Entra ID integration on the SQL server.
Why it's wrong here
Enabling Microsoft Entra integration on the logical server is necessary, but alone it provisions no identity to authenticate with. An Entra administrator must also be assigned to the server, creating the contained database user that Azure SQL Database uses for token-based authentication.
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
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 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-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.