DP-300 Plan and implement data platform resources Practice Question
Your team is migrating an on-premises SQL Server 2019 database to Azure SQL Managed Instance. The database uses Service Broker for cross-database messaging. The compliance requirement mandates that the migration must be performed with minimal downtime and that the target must support the Service Broker feature. What migration strategy should you recommend?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse Azure SQL Database with Azure SQL Managed Instance regarding Service Broker support, or assume that any offline migration method can achieve minimal downtime, but the key differentiator is that only online migration to SQL Managed Instance meets both the feature and downtime requirements.
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 Database Migration Service (DMS) with online migration to Azure SQL Managed Instance
Azure SQL Managed Instance fully supports Service Broker, and the Azure Database Migration Service (DMS) with online migration mode enables minimal downtime by continuously replicating changes from the source SQL Server to the target Managed Instance until a cutover. This satisfies both the Service Broker feature requirement and the compliance mandate for minimal downtime.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Perform a native backup and restore to Azure SQL Managed Instance
Why it's wrong here
Native backup and restore copies the whole database in one operation, so the cutover downtime equals the restore duration, breaching the minimal-downtime mandate. It suits small databases with generous maintenance windows, not large ones needing continuous synchronisation.
- ✗
Use the Data Migration Assistant (DMA) to migrate to Azure SQL Database
Why it's wrong here
DMA assesses and migrates schema and data to Azure SQL Database, which does not support Service Broker at all, so the messaging feature would be lost. DMA suits straightforward migrations to single databases, not Service Broker workloads requiring SQL Managed Instance.
- ✗
Use Azure Database Migration Service (DMS) with offline migration to Azure SQL Database
Why it's wrong here
Azure SQL Database does not support Service Broker, and offline DMS migration incurs downtime, breaching both the feature and minimal-downtime requirements. DMS offline migration suits scenarios where Service Broker is unused and a maintenance window is acceptable.
- ✓
Use Azure Database Migration Service (DMS) with online migration to Azure SQL Managed Instance
Why this is correct
Azure Database Migration Service online migration keeps the source SQL Server 2019 database available whilst continuously replicating changes to Azure SQL Managed Instance, cutting cutover downtime to a brief final sync. SQL Managed Instance supports Service Broker, satisfying the compliance constraint that the target retain cross-database messaging.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Deploying and Configuring SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines
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 Database Migration
Azure Database Migration is the process of moving databases from on-premises servers or other cloud platforms to Azure’s cloud database services with minimal downtime and data loss.
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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.