Quick Answer
The answer is Azure Data Factory and AzCopy. Azure Data Factory is a cloud-based ETL service that provides over 90 built-in connectors, allowing you to orchestrate and automate data pipelines to ingest data into Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 from diverse sources like on-premises databases or SaaS applications. AzCopy is a command-line utility that uses REST APIs for high-performance, parallel transfers, making it ideal for bulk copying large datasets directly into the storage account. On the DP-900 exam, this tests your understanding of native ingestion tools versus third-party options; a common trap is selecting Azure SQL Database or Azure Synapse Analytics, which are storage or query services, not ingestion tools. Remember the mnemonic “FA” for Factory and AzCopy—two tools that directly move data into the lake, not just process it.
This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe an analytics workload 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.
Which TWO options are valid ways to ingest data into Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2?
Power BI
Why wrong: Used for analytics, not data ingestion.
Azure SQL Database
Why wrong: It's a data source, not an ingestion method.
AzCopy
A utility to copy data to/from ADLS Gen2.
Azure DevOps
Why wrong: Focused on application lifecycle, not data ingestion.
Azure Data Factory
Orchestrates and performs data movement to ADLS Gen2.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AzCopy
AzCopy is a command-line utility designed specifically for copying data to and from Azure Blob Storage and Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 using REST APIs. It supports high-performance, parallel transfers and can handle large datasets efficiently, making it a valid ingestion tool.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Power BI
Why it's wrong here
Used for analytics, not data ingestion.
Azure SQL Database
Why it's wrong here
It's a data source, not an ingestion method.
AzCopy
Why this is correct
A utility to copy data to/from ADLS Gen2.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Azure DevOps
Why it's wrong here
Focused on application lifecycle, not data ingestion.
Azure Data Factory
Why this is correct
Orchestrates and performs data movement to ADLS Gen2.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse tools that can read from or query Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 (like Power BI or Azure SQL Database) with tools that can directly write or ingest data into it, overlooking the specific ingestion mechanisms required.
Detailed technical explanation
AzCopy uses parallelized TCP connections and can leverage the Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 hierarchical namespace for efficient directory-level operations, supporting both block and append blobs. Azure Data Factory provides a fully managed, serverless data integration service with over 90 built-in connectors, including native support for Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2, enabling scheduled, event-driven, or on-demand ingestion with transformation capabilities via mapping data flows.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
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FAQ
Describe an analytics workload on Azure — This question tests Describe an analytics workload on Azure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AzCopy — AzCopy is a command-line utility designed specifically for copying data to and from Azure Blob Storage and Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 using REST APIs. It supports high-performance, parallel transfers and can handle large datasets efficiently, making it a valid ingestion tool.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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