DP-300 Plan and implement data platform resources Practice Question
This DP-300 practice question tests your understanding of plan and implement data platform resources. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
You are deploying an Azure SQL Managed Instance for a sensitive healthcare application. The compliance requirement mandates that all data at rest be encrypted using a customer-managed key stored in Azure Key Vault. The key must be automatically rotated every 90 days. Which configuration should you implement?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) with a customer-managed key in Azure Key Vault and set a key rotation policy.
Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) with a customer-managed key (CMK) stored in Azure Key Vault is the correct choice because it encrypts the entire database at rest using a key that the customer controls and rotates. Azure SQL Managed Instance supports TDE with CMK, and you can configure automatic key rotation by setting a key rotation policy in Azure Key Vault (e.g., every 90 days). This satisfies the compliance requirement for customer-managed encryption and automated rotation.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Use dynamic data masking with a masking function that encrypts sensitive data.
Why it's wrong here
Dynamic data masking obscures data from non-privileged users but does not encrypt data at rest.
✗
Implement row-level security to restrict access to sensitive data.
Why it's wrong here
Row-level security controls access but does not encrypt data.
✓
Enable Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) with a customer-managed key in Azure Key Vault and set a key rotation policy.
Why this is correct
TDE with customer-managed keys supports automatic rotation via Azure Key Vault.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable Always Encrypted with column master key stored in Azure Key Vault and configure automatic key rotation.
Why it's wrong here
Always Encrypted does not support automatic rotation of the column master key; rotation is manual.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse Always Encrypted (column-level encryption with client-side key management) with TDE (database-level encryption at rest), and assume automatic key rotation applies to Always Encrypted, whereas Azure Key Vault's automatic rotation only applies to TDE protectors, not Always Encrypted column master keys.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
TDE with CMK uses the database encryption key (DEK) stored in the database boot record, which is encrypted by the TDE protector (an asymmetric key stored in Azure Key Vault). Automatic key rotation in Azure Key Vault re-keys the TDE protector without requiring database downtime or manual re-encryption of data, as the DEK is re-encrypted with the new key version. In a real-world scenario, compliance auditors often require evidence of automatic rotation logs, which Azure Key Vault provides via its audit event integration.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this DP-300 question in full detail.
Plan and implement data platform resources — This question tests Plan and implement data platform resources — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) with a customer-managed key in Azure Key Vault and set a key rotation policy. — Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) with a customer-managed key (CMK) stored in Azure Key Vault is the correct choice because it encrypts the entire database at rest using a key that the customer controls and rotates. Azure SQL Managed Instance supports TDE with CMK, and you can configure automatic key rotation by setting a key rotation policy in Azure Key Vault (e.g., every 90 days). This satisfies the compliance requirement for customer-managed encryption and automated rotation.
What should I do if I get this DP-300 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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