hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
Create Cross-Workspace Analytics Rules in Microsoft Sentinel
A SOC team uses Microsoft Sentinel with multiple workspaces distributed across different regions. They need to create a single analytics rule that can query data from multiple workspaces to detect cross-tenant attacks. What is the recommended approach?
Quick Answer
The recommended approach is to use cross-workspace queries in a single analytics rule with the workspace() function. This is correct because the workspace() function allows a single Kusto Query Language (KQL) query to reference tables from up to 100 different Microsoft Sentinel workspaces, even across regions, without needing to centralize data ingestion or duplicate rules. On the SC-200 exam, this concept tests your understanding of how to scale threat detection across distributed environments while avoiding the cost and complexity of data consolidation. A common trap is assuming you must create separate rules per workspace or use a union operator without the workspace() function, which would fail to resolve cross-tenant table references. Memory tip: think of workspace() as a “phone book” for your KQL query—it dials into each workspace’s tables directly, so you only write one rule to cover many locations.
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often think Azure Lighthouse alone solves the problem, but it only provides management plane access; the actual query logic still requires the workspace() function to combine data in a single rule.
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
✓
Use cross-workspace queries in a single analytics rule with the workspace() function
The recommended approach is to use cross-workspace queries in a single analytics rule with the workspace() function. This allows the rule to query data from multiple Sentinel workspaces in different regions without duplicating rules or ingesting data centrally. The workspace() function enables a single KQL query to reference tables from up to 100 workspaces, making it ideal for detecting cross-tenant attacks across distributed environments.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create separate analytics rules for each workspace
Why it's wrong here
This would require managing multiple rules and would not allow correlation across workspaces in a single detection.
- ✓
Use cross-workspace queries in a single analytics rule with the workspace() function
Why this is correct
The KQL workspace() function allows a single analytics rule to query tables from multiple Log Analytics workspaces, enabling cross-workspace detection.
- ✗
Create a union workspace that ingests data from all workspaces
Why it's wrong here
Sentinel does not have a built-in 'union workspace' concept; data resides in separate workspaces.
- ✗
Use Azure Lighthouse to manage multiple workspaces and create rules on each
Why it's wrong here
Azure Lighthouse allows centralized management but does not allow a single rule to query multiple workspaces without cross-workspace queries.
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1 more way this is tested on SC-200
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Variation 1. A SOC team uses Microsoft Sentinel with multiple workspaces in a single region. They have deployed Azure Policy to send all Azure resource logs to a central Log Analytics workspace. Now they want to create a set of analytics rules that run across multiple workspaces to detect cross-workspace attacks. However, they note that the built-in analytics rules can only query data within the workspace they are defined. Which solution should the team implement to efficiently query data from multiple workspaces for detection?
hard- A.Use Azure Lighthouse to delegate management and then create rules in the managing workspace that use workspace() expressions
- ✓ B.Create a KQL function that unions the relevant tables from all workspaces using the workspace() expression, then use that function in the analytics rule query
- C.Configure the analytics rule to run in Log Analytics workspace manager and use cross-workspace queries native to Copilot for Security
- D.Enable cross-workspace incident view in Sentinel settings and define the rule in the central workspace to automatically query all linked workspaces
Why B: KQL functions can encapsulate cross-workspace queries using the `workspace()` expression, allowing an analytics rule to query multiple Log Analytics workspaces from a single rule definition. This approach efficiently reuses the union logic across rules without modifying each rule individually, addressing the limitation that built-in rules can only query their own workspace.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SC-200 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 SC-200 exam.