DP-300 Plan and implement data platform resources Practice Question
Your company is adopting Microsoft Defender XDR for enhanced security. You need to enable Microsoft Defender for SQL for your Azure SQL Database to receive security alerts and vulnerability assessments. What is the first step you must take?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates think they need to first run a vulnerability assessment scan (Option B) to see alerts, but the scan itself requires Defender for SQL to be enabled first, making the enablement the true first step.
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
✓
Enable Microsoft Defender for SQL on the Azure SQL logical server.
Microsoft Defender for SQL must be enabled at the logical server level before any security alerts or vulnerability assessments can be applied to the Azure SQL Database. This server-level enablement activates the Defender for SQL features (including vulnerability assessment and threat detection) for all databases under that server, making it the prerequisite step.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Configure Microsoft Intune to manage access.
Why it's wrong here
Configuring Microsoft Intune manages device compliance and access, not Defender for SQL onboarding. Enabling Defender for SQL requires first turning on Microsoft Defender for Cloud on the subscription, which surfaces alerts and vulnerability assessments for Azure SQL Database. Intune would be correct for enforcing conditional access and device policies, not database threat protection.
- ✗
Run a vulnerability assessment scan from the Azure portal.
Why it's wrong here
Running a vulnerability assessment scan assesses an existing configuration; it cannot enable Defender for SQL, which must first be turned on at the subscription or server level. It is tempting because vulnerability assessment is a Defender for SQL feature, and scanning is the correct action once protection is already enabled.
- ✗
Configure Microsoft Purview to scan the database.
Why it's wrong here
Configuring Microsoft Purview scans data assets for governance and classification; it does not provision Defender for SQL. The stem requires onboarding Azure SQL Database to Microsoft Defender XDR, which starts by enabling Microsoft Defender for SQL at the subscription or server level. Purview would be correct when the requirement is data discovery, lineage, or sensitivity labelling.
- ✓
Enable Microsoft Defender for SQL on the Azure SQL logical server.
Why this is correct
Defender for SQL is enabled at the Azure SQL logical server level, which then applies protection to every database hosted on that server. Enabling it on the server satisfies the requirement to receive security alerts and vulnerability assessments across the databases.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Migrating On-Premises Databases to Azure
Key term
Azure SQL Threat Detection
Azure SQL Threat Detection is a built-in security feature that continuously monitors your Azure SQL database for suspicious activities and sends alerts when potential threats are found.
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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JA
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.