DP-900 Practice Question: Identify considerations for relational data on Azure
This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of identify considerations for relational data on azure. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A financial company is migrating a 2-TB on-premises SQL Server database to Azure. The database uses SQL Server Agent jobs for data validation and cleanup, and it performs cross-database queries using three-part names (e.g., DB1.schema.table). The company requires a fully managed PaaS service that supports these features with minimal application changes. Which Azure SQL service should they choose?
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 SQL Server Agent jobs and cross-database queries using three-part names (e.g., DB1.schema.table). As a fully managed PaaS service, it minimizes application changes while offloading infrastructure management, making it ideal for migrating a 2-TB database with these specific requirements.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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
Incorrect. Azure SQL Database does not support SQL Server Agent jobs or cross-database queries using three-part names.
✓
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Why this is correct
Correct. SQL Managed Instance offers SQL Agent, cross-database queries, and is fully managed, minimizing code changes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Azure SQL Database elastic pool
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Elastic pools share resources and have the same limitations as single databases regarding Agent and cross-database queries.
✗
SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. SQL Server on Azure VM is an IaaS option requiring management of the VM and SQL Server, not a fully managed PaaS service.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure SQL Database elastic pool with Managed Instance, assuming elastic pools support all SQL Server features, when in fact they only scale resources across single databases and lack instance-scoped features like Agent jobs and cross-database three-part name queries.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Azure SQL Managed Instance runs in a dedicated virtual network (VNet) and uses a SQL Server Database Engine that is nearly identical to the on-premises version, including support for CLR, Service Broker, and SQL Server Agent. Cross-database queries with three-part names work because Managed Instance hosts multiple databases within the same instance, unlike Azure SQL Database which isolates each database in a separate logical server. In real-world migrations, this compatibility is critical for enterprises with complex ETL jobs and linked server dependencies, as it avoids costly refactoring of legacy T-SQL code.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this DP-900 question in full detail.
Identify considerations for relational data on Azure — This question tests Identify considerations for relational data on Azure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: 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 SQL Server Agent jobs and cross-database queries using three-part names (e.g., DB1.schema.table). As a fully managed PaaS service, it minimizes application changes while offloading infrastructure management, making it ideal for migrating a 2-TB database with these specific requirements.
What should I do if I get this DP-900 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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