DP-300 Azure Data Factory Practice Question
You are a database administrator for a large e-commerce company. The company uses Azure SQL Database in a Business Critical tier for its transactional systems. The database is part of an elastic pool with multiple databases. You need to automate the process of purging old data from a specific table (OrderHistory) that grows by 5 GB per day. The data must be retained for 90 days. After 90 days, the data should be moved to an Azure Blob Storage archive for long-term storage. The automation must run daily at midnight and must minimize impact on the transactional workload. Additionally, the solution should be cost-effective and require minimal manual intervention. What should you do?
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
✓
Use Azure Data Factory with a scheduled trigger to copy data older than 90 days to Blob Storage and then delete it from the table.
Azure Data Factory (ADF) with a scheduled trigger can copy data older than 90 days to Azure Blob Storage and then delete it from the table. This approach minimizes impact on the transactional workload because ADF runs outside the database, is cost-effective for scheduled workloads, and requires minimal manual intervention. Option A is not available in Azure SQL Database (SQL Agent is only for on-premises or Managed Instance). Option B requires a Hybrid Runbook Worker if the database is not publicly accessible, adding complexity. Option C is incorrect because PolyBase in Azure SQL Database does not support writing to Blob Storage; it only reads external data.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a SQL Agent job on the database to run a cleanup script at midnight.
Why it's wrong here
SQL Agent jobs are not available in Azure SQL Database; they are only supported in SQL Server on-premises or Azure SQL Managed Instance.
- ✗
Use Azure Automation with a PowerShell runbook that connects to the database, deletes old data, and uploads it to Blob Storage using AzCopy.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Automation with a PowerShell runbook could work, but it typically requires a Hybrid Runbook Worker to connect to the database, adding complexity and cost. Also, managing scripts and credentials adds manual intervention.
- ✗
Create a stored procedure that deletes data older than 90 days and exports it to Blob Storage using PolyBase. Schedule the procedure using Elastic Database Jobs.
Why it's wrong here
PolyBase in Azure SQL Database only supports reading from external data sources, not writing to Blob Storage. Therefore, this option is not viable.
- ✓
Use Azure Data Factory with a scheduled trigger to copy data older than 90 days to Blob Storage and then delete it from the table.
Why this is correct
Azure Data Factory is the correct choice. It can be scheduled to run daily, perform the copy to Blob Storage using a copy activity, and then execute a delete activity against the database. This minimizes impact and is cost-effective.
Quick reference
Azure Blob Storage Tier Comparison
| Tier | Storage Cost | Retrieval Cost | Latency | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot | Highest | Lowest | Immediate | Active data, frequent reads |
| Cool | Lower | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / month |
| Cold | Lower still | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / quarter |
| Archive | Lowest | Highest + rehydration delay | Hours | Long-term compliance retention |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Overview of Azure Data Platform Options
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.
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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.