DP-900 Practice Question: Identify considerations for relational data on Azure
A company plans to migrate an on-premises SQL Server database to Azure. The database uses SQL Server Agent for nightly maintenance jobs, Service Broker for asynchronous messaging, and requires cross-database queries within the same instance. The company wants a fully managed Platform as a Service (PaaS) solution that minimizes application code changes. Which Azure SQL deployment option should they choose?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse Azure SQL Database elastic pool with a managed instance, assuming it provides instance-level features, when in fact it is merely a cost-saving container for multiple single databases that still lack SQL Server Agent, Service Broker, and cross-database query support.
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 SQL Managed Instance
Azure SQL Managed Instance is the correct choice because it provides near 100% compatibility with on-premises SQL Server, including SQL Server Agent, Service Broker, and cross-database queries within the same instance, while being a fully managed PaaS offering. This minimizes application code changes because the migration can be performed with minimal schema or code modifications, unlike Azure SQL Database which lacks these features.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Azure SQL Database (single database)
Why it's wrong here
Azure SQL Database single database does not support cross-database queries within the same logical server without workarounds like elastic query, and it lacks SQL Agent and Service Broker features entirely. Application code changes would be required.
When this WOULD be correct
A company needs a fully managed PaaS database for a new application with no dependencies on SQL Server Agent, Service Broker, or cross-database queries, and wants minimal management overhead and built-in high availability.
- ✓
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Why this is correct
Azure SQL Managed Instance offers high compatibility with on-premises SQL Server, including SQL Agent, Service Broker, and cross-database queries. It is a PaaS solution that requires minimal to no application code changes, making it the best fit for this scenario.
- ✗
Azure SQL Database elastic pool
Why it's wrong here
An elastic pool is a resource-sharing container for multiple Azure SQL databases. It does not provide instance-level features like SQL Agent or Service Broker, nor does it support cross-database queries across databases in the pool.
When this WOULD be correct
A company needs to manage multiple databases with varying and unpredictable usage patterns, seeking cost-effective resource sharing and performance isolation without needing instance-level features like SQL Agent or cross-database queries.
- ✗
Azure SQL Database Hyperscale
Why it's wrong here
The Hyperscale service tier is designed for large databases with high scalability, but it does not include SQL Agent or Service Broker support. It also does not inherently support cross-database queries within the same instance.
When this WOULD be correct
A company needs to migrate a very large database (over 4 TB) with high transaction throughput and requires rapid scaling of compute and storage resources without downtime. The database does not use SQL Server Agent, Service Broker, or cross-database queries, and the company prioritizes scalability over full feature compatibility.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The DP-900 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Azure SQL Managed InstanceCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Azure SQL Managed Instance offers high compatibility with on-premises SQL Server, including SQL Agent, Service Broker, and cross-database queries. It is a PaaS solution that requires minimal to no application code changes, making it the best fit for this scenario.
✗Azure SQL Database (single database)Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Azure SQL Database (single database) does not support SQL Server Agent, Service Broker, or cross-database queries within the same instance, which are required by the scenario.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company needs a fully managed PaaS database for a new application with no dependencies on SQL Server Agent, Service Broker, or cross-database queries, and wants minimal management overhead and built-in high availability.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may assume that 'fully managed PaaS' always means Azure SQL Database, overlooking the specific feature requirements that only Azure SQL Managed Instance supports.
✗Azure SQL Database elastic poolWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Azure SQL Database elastic pool does not support SQL Server Agent, Service Broker, or cross-database queries within the same instance, which are required by the question.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company needs to manage multiple databases with varying and unpredictable usage patterns, seeking cost-effective resource sharing and performance isolation without needing instance-level features like SQL Agent or cross-database queries.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse elastic pools with managed instances, thinking both offer multi-database management, but overlook that elastic pools lack instance-scoped features required for the migration.
✗Azure SQL Database HyperscaleWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Azure SQL Database Hyperscale is designed for large databases with high scalability and performance needs, but it does not support SQL Server Agent, Service Broker, or cross-database queries within the same instance, which are required by the question.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company needs to migrate a very large database (over 4 TB) with high transaction throughput and requires rapid scaling of compute and storage resources without downtime. The database does not use SQL Server Agent, Service Broker, or cross-database queries, and the company prioritizes scalability over full feature compatibility.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may associate 'Hyperscale' with high performance and scalability, assuming it can handle any workload, but overlook that it lacks key SQL Server features like Agent and Service Broker, which are critical for the given requirements.
Analysis generated from the official DP-900blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Azure SQL Services
Key term
SQL Managed Instance
SQL Managed Instance is a cloud database service from Azure that gives you most of the features of a full SQL Server instance without you having to manage the underlying hardware or software patches.
Key term
Azure SQL Database
Azure SQL Database is a fully managed relational database-as-a-service (DBaaS) in Microsoft Azure, based on the SQL Server engine, that handles scaling, backups, patching, and high availability automatically.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DP-900 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-900 exam.