DP-900 Practice Question: Identify considerations for relational data on Azure
A company's application uses Microsoft SQL Server with multiple databases that need to run complex queries joining tables across databases. They are migrating to Azure and need a fully managed relational database service with high availability, automated backups, and minimal management overhead. They do not need a separate SQL Server installation and want to avoid managing VMs. Which Azure deployment option should they choose?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse Azure SQL Database elastic pool with Managed Instance, assuming elastic pools support cross-database queries, but elastic pools only manage resource allocation for single databases and do not provide the instance-level features needed for cross-database joins.
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 support for cross-database queries and linked servers, while being a fully managed platform-as-a-service (PaaS) offering. It eliminates the need to manage VMs or a separate SQL Server installation, and it includes built-in high availability (99.99% SLA) and automated backups, meeting all stated requirements.
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 native cross-database queries because it has no linked-server capability. The only workaround, elastic query, can reference external tables but is limited to read-only access, requires specific compatibility, and cannot handle distributed transactions. For an application that frequently joins data across multiple databases, this option would require significant refactoring and still fail to deliver full T-SQL parity.
- ✓
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Why this is correct
Azure SQL Managed Instance is a fully managed PaaS offering that maintains near-complete SQL Server engine compatibility, including linked servers and native cross-database queries. It also provides built-in high availability, automated backups, and automatic patching, which eliminates the operational overhead of managing virtual machines. For a company moving an existing SQL Server workload with multiple interdependent databases, this option gives the required functionality while minimizing management burden.
- ✗
SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines
Why it's wrong here
SQL Server on Azure VMs can support cross-database queries, but it requires manual management of the VM, high availability, and backups. The company wants to minimize management overhead, so this is not the best choice.
- ✗
Azure SQL Database elastic pool
Why it's wrong here
Azure SQL Database elastic pool is essentially a resource-sharing container for multiple independent single databases, not a mechanism that integrates them logically. Each database in the pool retains the same single-database engine limitations, so linked servers and true cross-database T-SQL joins remain unavailable. The elastic pool only helps manage aggregate compute costs and burstable utilization; it does not solve any data-plane dependency between databases.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Relational Data Concepts
Key term
Relational database
A relational database organizes data into tables with rows and columns, where each table relates to others using unique keys, allowing efficient storage, retrieval, and manipulation of structured information.
Key term
Service
A service is a software component or system that performs a specific function and is available to be used by other programs or users over a network.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every DP-900 question from scratch — 820 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.