DP-300 Configure and manage automation of tasks Practice Question
You are a database administrator for a logistics company that uses Azure SQL Database. The company requires an automated task to run every night at 02:00 UTC to archive old shipment records into a separate table. You need to minimize administrative overhead and ensure the task runs reliably even if there is a transient failure. What should you implement?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that SQL Agent is available in Azure SQL Database, when in fact it is only available in Azure SQL Managed Instance and SQL Server on Azure VMs.
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
✓
Create an Elastic Job agent, define a target group that includes the database, and create a job with a T-SQL step that performs the archival. Schedule the job to run daily at 02:00 UTC.
Elastic Jobs provide a native, low-overhead way to schedule and run T-SQL across Azure SQL databases. They include built-in retry logic and logging, which ensures the archival task runs reliably even with transient failures. Other options either are not supported on Azure SQL Database (SQL Agent) or require more administrative effort and custom error handling (Azure Automation, Logic Apps with Functions).
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 an Elastic Job agent, define a target group that includes the database, and create a job with a T-SQL step that performs the archival. Schedule the job to run daily at 02:00 UTC.
Why this is correct
Elastic Jobs are designed to automate T-SQL tasks across one or many databases in Azure SQL Database. They natively support scheduling, retry on failure, and logging. By targeting the specific database and scheduling a daily job, you meet the requirement with minimal administrative overhead and built-in reliability for transient failures.
- ✗
Use Azure Logic Apps to trigger an Azure Function that executes the archival T-SQL against the database on a daily schedule.
Why it's wrong here
While Logic Apps and Azure Functions can execute T-SQL, this approach introduces additional components and complexity. It requires managing a function app, authentication, and error handling. It does not provide the native retry and logging that Elastic Jobs offer for database tasks, resulting in higher administrative overhead than necessary for this scenario.
- ✗
Configure a SQL Agent job on the Azure SQL Database to run the archival T-SQL daily at 02:00 UTC.
Why it's wrong here
SQL Agent is not available in Azure SQL Database; it is only available in Azure SQL Managed Instance and SQL Server on Azure VMs. Therefore, you cannot create a SQL Agent job directly on an Azure SQL Database. This option is invalid for the platform and would not meet the requirement.
- ✗
Create an Azure Automation runbook that connects to the database and executes the archival T-SQL, and schedule it with a daily trigger.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Automation runbooks can execute T-SQL, but they require an Automation account, credentials, and a hybrid runbook worker or Azure runbook to connect to the database. This adds administrative overhead and does not natively provide retry logic for transient failures. For a simple scheduled T-SQL task, Elastic Jobs offer a more integrated and lower-overhead solution.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Configuring Automation Tasks for Database Administration
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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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.