DP-300 Configure and manage automation of tasks Practice Question
You need to automate the backup of an Azure SQL Managed Instance to a storage account every 4 hours. Which feature should you use?
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
✓
Azure Automation with PowerShell runbooks
Azure SQL Managed Instance has built-in automated backups, but they run automatically and cannot be customized to run every 4 hours or target a specific storage account. Long-term retention (LTR) policies are for retaining backups beyond the automated backup period, not for scheduling. SQL Server Agent is available in Azure SQL Managed Instance and can be used to schedule jobs, but it does not provide a direct way to back up to an Azure storage account every 4 hours. Azure Automation with PowerShell runbooks can invoke backups using REST APIs or T-SQL, and schedule them precisely, making it the best choice for this requirement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Built-in automated backups
Why it's wrong here
Built-in backups are automated but cannot be customized to a 4-hour schedule.
- ✗
SQL Agent jobs
Why it's wrong here
SQL Agent jobs are designed for scheduling and executing T-SQL scripts, SSIS packages, and other executable commands *within* the SQL Managed Instance. While they can execute `BACKUP DATABASE ... TO URL` commands to a storage account, they are not the primary Azure-native feature for orchestrating external Azure service interactions or managing resource-level automation. This option is tempting because SQL Agent is a familiar tool for scheduling database tasks, and it *can* run backup commands. However, for robust, external automation of Azure resources, a dedicated Azure orchestration service would typically be employed.
- ✗
Long-term retention (LTR) policies
Why it's wrong here
LTR is for retention, not scheduling.
- ✓
Azure Automation with PowerShell runbooks
Why this is correct
Azure Automation runbooks can schedule and execute backup commands for Azure SQL Managed Instance.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Overview of Azure Data Platform Options
Key term
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Azure SQL Managed Instance is a fully managed cloud database service that gives you nearly all the features of Microsoft SQL Server on your own server, without you having to manage the hardware or operating system.
Key term
Azure SQL Database Backup
Azure SQL Database Backup is a fully managed, automated service that creates and stores copies of your SQL database data and transaction logs in Azure storage, enabling point-in-time recovery and long-term retention for data protection and business continuity.
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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.