DP-900 Practice Question: Identify considerations for relational data on Azure

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

  Why it's wrong here

  Azure SQL Database is a single-database PaaS offering that lacks support for SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) entirely; SSIS packages cannot be stored or executed within Azure SQL Database. It also omits instance-level features such as SQL Agent job scheduling, cross-database queries, and local linked server capabilities, which are often essential for existing on-premises SQL Server workloads. While it offers automated management, its feature limitations make it unsuitable for a migration where SSIS and instance-scoped functionality are required.

  When this WOULD be correct

  A company is migrating a simple OLTP workload that does not require SSIS or instance-level configurations, and they want a fully managed platform with built-in high availability and automated patching. Azure SQL Database would be the correct choice.

• ✓

  Azure SQL Managed Instance

  Why this is correct

  Azure SQL Managed Instance is the correct choice because it provides near 100% compatibility with on-premises SQL Server, including support for SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) via Azure-SSIS Integration Runtime. As a Platform as a Service (PaaS) offering, it automates critical maintenance tasks such as patching, backups, and high availability, while preserving instance-scoped features like SQL Agent, linked servers, and CLR. This minimizes administrative overhead while supporting SSIS, making it the ideal target for a direct migration of a SQL Server database with integration services workloads.

• ✗

  Azure Synapse Analytics

  Why it's wrong here

  Azure Synapse Analytics is a distributed analytics service purpose-built for large-scale data warehousing and big data workloads, not for transactional OLTP databases. It uses a separate T-SQL dialect and does not natively store or execute SSIS packages; SSIS integration would require Azure Data Factory and the Azure-SSIS Integration Runtime, which still does not replicate the full SQL Server instance behavior. Its architecture is optimized for columnar storage and massive parallel reads, making it an incorrect choice for migrating a standard on-premises SQL Server database that relies on SSIS for daily operations.

  When this WOULD be correct

  A company needs to run large-scale data warehousing and analytics workloads, such as petabyte-scale queries across relational and non-relational data, and requires integrated data integration pipelines (e.g., Synapse Pipelines) but does not need SSIS or instance-level control.

• ✗

  Azure SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines

  Why it's wrong here

  Azure SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines (IaaS) does support SSIS and offers full control over the operating system and SQL Server configuration, but it requires you to manage patching, backups, and high availability yourself. This manual administrative overhead is substantially higher than in a PaaS offering like SQL Managed Instance, as you must handle VM infrastructure, storage scaling, and HA solutions such as Always On Availability Groups. Because the goal is to minimize overhead while migrating an existing SQL Server database, this option is less suitable despite its compatibility.

  When this WOULD be correct

  A company needs to run a legacy SQL Server application that requires full control over the OS, custom configurations, or third-party software alongside SQL Server, and is willing to handle patching and backup management themselves.

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.

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?”

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