Pass the Microsoft Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate DP-300 Questions and answers with CertsForce

Enable Automatic tuning at the server level and turn Create Index to On.

Microsoft states that Azure SQL Database automatic tuning can create indexes automatically, verify performance improvement, and roll back changes if performance regresses. Server-level automatic tuning settings are applied to all databases on the server by default, unless a database has its own override.

Azure Portal Method — Recommended for Simulation

Step 1: Open the SQL logical server

Sign in to the Azure portal.

Search for SQL servers.

Open:

sql60152867

Do not open only db1. The task says all databases on sql60152867, so configure this at the server level.

Step 2: Open Automatic tuning

In the SQL server left menu:

Go to Intelligent Performance.

Select Automatic tuning.

Microsoft’s documented path is to open the Azure SQL server in the portal and select Automatic tuning from the menu.

Step 3: Enable automatic index creation

On the Automatic tuning page, configure:

Setting

Value

Create index

On

Drop index

Leave unchanged unless required

Force last good plan

Leave unchanged unless required

The only required setting is:

Create index = On

Do not confuse this with Drop index. The task only asks to ensure indexes are created automatically.

Step 4: Apply the setting

Select Apply or Save.

Wait for the portal confirmation.

The setting is now configured at the SQL logical server level.

Important Database Inheritance Check

This is the part people miss.

Server-level automatic tuning applies to databases that inherit from the server. Microsoft states that individual databases can override server-level automatic tuning settings. Therefore, if the simulation shows any database with custom automatic tuning settings, set that database to Inherit from server or manually set Create index = On for that database.

For each database, the correct inherited state should be:

Automatic tuning = Inherit from server

Create index = Inherited / On

If a database is set to:

Custom

Create index = Off

then the server-level setting might not affect that database. Fix it.

Database-Level T-SQL Method

Use this only if the portal is unavailable or you need to correct a specific database override.

Connect to each database and run:

ALTER DATABASE CURRENT

SET AUTOMATIC_TUNING (

CREATE_INDEX = ON

);

Microsoft documents this exact syntax for enabling the CREATE_INDEX automatic tuning option by T-SQL on an individual Azure SQL Database.

To make an individual database inherit server settings, run:

ALTER DATABASE CURRENT

SET AUTOMATIC_TUNING = INHERIT;

But this must be executed inside each database, not from master as a single server-wide T-SQL command.

Verification with T-SQL

Connect to a database and run:

SELECT

name,

desired_state_desc,

actual_state_desc

FROM sys.database_automatic_tuning_options

WHERE name = ' CREATE_INDEX ' ;

Expected result:

name CREATE_INDEX

desired_state_desc ON or DEFAULT

actual_state_desc ON

If desired_state_desc is DEFAULT, that usually means the database is inheriting the server-level setting. The key result is:

actual_state_desc = ON

SSMS Clarification

SSMS can be used to verify or configure the setting per database using T-SQL, but it is not the best tool for the requirement as written.

Because the task says:

all the databases on sql60152867

the correct primary method is:

Azure portal > SQL server > Automatic tuning > Create index = On

Final Exam-Lab Action

Configure this:

SQL server: sql60152867

Automatic tuning

Create index: On

Apply

Then verify databases are inheriting the server setting or have CREATE_INDEX = ON.

That completes the task.

Configure Dynamic Data Masking on the email column in:

SalesLT.Customer

The column is normally:

EmailAddress

Use the built-in masking function:

email()

Microsoft documents that Dynamic Data Masking hides sensitive data in query results for nonprivileged users without changing the stored data. The built-in email() masking function exposes the first letter and returns the masked format aXXX@XXXX.com, which exactly matches the requirement.

Method 1 — SSMS / T-SQL Method

This is the fastest and most reliable method.

Step 1: Connect to db1

Open SQL Server Management Studio.

Connect to the Azure SQL logical server that hosts db1.

Open a query window against database:

db1

Step 2: Apply the email mask

Run:

ALTER TABLE [SalesLT].[Customer]

ALTER COLUMN [EmailAddress]

ADD MASKED WITH (FUNCTION = ' email() ' );

This adds a Dynamic Data Masking rule to the EmailAddress column. The actual email address remains stored in the table, but users without permission to view unmasked data will see the masked value. Microsoft’s documented syntax for adding an email mask is ALTER COLUMN Email ADD MASKED WITH (FUNCTION = ' email() ' ).

Step 3: Verify that the column is masked

Run:

SELECT

OBJECT_SCHEMA_NAME(mc.object_id) AS schema_name,

OBJECT_NAME(mc.object_id) AS table_name,

c.name AS column_name,

mc.masking_function

FROM sys.masked_columns AS mc

JOIN sys.columns AS c

ON mc.object_id = c.object_id

AND mc.column_id = c.column_id

WHERE OBJECT_SCHEMA_NAME(mc.object_id) = ' SalesLT '

AND OBJECT_NAME(mc.object_id) = ' Customer '

AND c.name = ' EmailAddress ' ;

Expected result:

schema_name SalesLT

table_name Customer

column_name EmailAddress

masking_function email()

Step 4: Test as a non-administrative user

If you have a test user, run:

EXECUTE AS USER = ' TestUser ' ;

SELECT TOP (10)

EmailAddress

FROM SalesLT.Customer;

REVERT;

Expected output should look like:

aXXX@XXXX.com

bXXX@XXXX.com

cXXX@XXXX.com

A user with administrative privileges, db_owner, or UNMASK permission can still see the original email value. Microsoft states that users with administrative rights such as server admin, Microsoft Entra admin, and db_owner can view the original unmasked data.

Method 2 — Azure Portal Method

Use this if the simulation expects portal configuration.

Step 1: Open db1

Sign in to the Azure portal.

Search for SQL databases.

Open database:

db1

Step 2: Open Dynamic Data Masking

From the db1 page:

Security > Dynamic Data Masking

Microsoft states that for Azure SQL Database, Dynamic Data Masking can be configured in the Azure portal from the SQL database configuration pane under Security > Dynamic Data Masking.

Step 3: Add a masking rule

Add a mask for the email column:

Setting

Value

Schema

SalesLT

Table

Customer

Column

EmailAddress

Masking field format

Email

Masking function

email()

Then select:

Save

The portal may show the mask type simply as:

Email

That is the correct option because it maps to the email() masking function.

Important Permission Check

Dynamic Data Masking only affects users who do not have permission to view unmasked data.

If a non-administrative user was previously granted UNMASK, remove it:

REVOKE UNMASK TO [UserName];

Or, if a role was granted UNMASK, revoke it from the role:

REVOKE UNMASK TO [RoleName];

Do not grant UNMASK to normal users. UNMASK allows users to bypass masking and see the original values. Microsoft documents that UNMASK permission controls whether users can view masked or original data.

Final Exam-Lab Action

Run this against db1:

ALTER TABLE [SalesLT].[Customer]

ALTER COLUMN [EmailAddress]

ADD MASKED WITH (FUNCTION = ' email() ' );

Then verify:

SELECT

OBJECT_SCHEMA_NAME(object_id) AS schema_name,

OBJECT_NAME(object_id) AS table_name,

name AS column_name,

masking_function

FROM sys.masked_columns

WHERE OBJECT_SCHEMA_NAME(object_id) = ' SalesLT '

AND OBJECT_NAME(object_id) = ' Customer '

AND name = ' EmailAddress ' ;

The task is complete when non-administrative users querying SalesLT.Customer.EmailAddress see masked email values such as:

aXXX@XXXX.com

To prevent db1 from reverting to the last known good query plan, you need to disable the automatic plan correction feature for the database. This feature is enabled by default and allows the Query Store to detect and fix plan performance regressions by forcing the last good plan1. However, if you want to test the performance of different plans without interference from the Query Store, you can turn off this feature by using the ALTER DATABASE SCOPED CONFIGURATION statement2.

Here are the steps to disable the automatic plan correction feature for db1:

Connect to db1 using SQL Server Management Studio, Azure Data Studio, or any other tool that supports Transact-SQL statements.

Open a new query window and run the following command: ALTER DATABASE SCOPED CONFIGURATION SET AUTOMATIC_TUNING (FORCE_LAST_GOOD_PLAN = OFF); GO

This command will disable the automatic plan correction feature for db1 and allow the Query Optimizer to choose the best plan based on the current statistics and parameters3.

To verify that the automatic plan correction feature is disabled for db1, you can query the sys.database_scoped_configurations catalog view. The value of the force_last_good_plan column should be 0 for db1.

These are the steps to disable the automatic plan correction feature for db1.

To ensure that db1 is compatible with all the features and syntax of SQL Server 2012, you need to set the compatibility level of the database to 110, which is the compatibility level for SQL Server 20121. The compatibility level affects the behavior of certain Transact-SQL statements and features, and determines how the database engine interprets the SQL code2.

You can set the compatibility level of db1 by using the Azure portal or Transact-SQL statements. Here are the steps for both methods:

Using the Azure portal:

Go to the Azure portal and select your Azure SQL Database server that hosts db1.

Select the database db1 and click on Query Performance Insight in the left menu.

Click on Configure Query Store and select 110 from the Compatibility level dropdown list.

Click on Save to apply the change.

Using Transact-SQL statements:

Connect to db1 using SQL Server Management Studio, Azure Data Studio, or any other tool that supports Transact-SQL statements.

Open a new query window and run the following command: ALTER DATABASE db1 SET COMPATIBILITY_LEVEL = 110; GO

This command will set the compatibility level of db1 to 110, which is equivalent to SQL Server 2012.

These are the steps to set the compatibility level of db1 to 110. 

Apply an Azure Resource Manager Delete lock / CanNotDelete lock directly to the Azure SQL database resource db1.

Microsoft states that Azure resource locks can be applied at subscription, resource group, or resource scope to protect resources from accidental deletion or modification. In the Azure portal, the lock types are shown as Delete and Read-only; in CLI/PowerShell, they are called CanNotDelete and ReadOnly. A CanNotDelete/Delete lock allows users to read and modify the resource, but prevents deletion.

Azure Portal Method — Recommended for Simulation

Step 1: Open the database resource

Sign in to the Azure portal.

In the search bar, search for SQL databases.

Select the database named db1.

Make sure you select the database resource itself, not only the SQL logical server.

Step 2: Open Locks

In the left menu of db1, scroll to Settings.

Select Locks.

Select Add.

Step 3: Create the delete lock

Configure the lock as follows:

Setting

Value

Lock name

PreventDelete-db1

Lock type

Delete

Notes

Prevent accidental deletion of db1

Then select OK or Save.

In the portal, choose Delete, not Read-only. A Read-only lock is too restrictive because it can block management updates. For this task, the requirement is only to stop accidental deletion, so Delete / CanNotDelete is the correct lock type. Microsoft confirms that CanNotDelete prevents deletion but still permits reading and modifying the resource.

Step 4: Verify the lock

Stay on the db1 database page.

Go back to Locks.

Confirm the lock exists with:

Name: PreventDelete-db1

Lock type: Delete

The task is complete once db1 has a Delete lock applied.

PowerShell Method

Use this if the lab provides Azure PowerShell.

New-AzResourceLock `

-LockLevel CanNotDelete `

-LockName " PreventDelete-db1 " `

-LockNotes " Prevent accidental deletion of db1 " `

-ResourceGroupName " < resource-group-name > " `

-ResourceName " < sql-server-name > /db1 " `

-ResourceType " Microsoft.Sql/servers/databases "

Microsoft’s New-AzResourceLock documentation includes an Azure SQL Database example using resource type Microsoft.Sql/servers/databases and resource name format serverName/databaseName.

Example format:

New-AzResourceLock `

-LockLevel CanNotDelete `

-LockName " PreventDelete-db1 " `

-LockNotes " Prevent accidental deletion of db1 " `

-ResourceGroupName " RG1 " `

-ResourceName " sql60152867/db1 " `

-ResourceType " Microsoft.Sql/servers/databases "

Replace RG1 and sql60152867 with the actual resource group and SQL logical server that hosts db1.

Azure CLI Method

Use Azure CLI only if the lab gives Cloud Shell and you know the full resource ID.

First get the database resource ID:

az sql db show \

--resource-group < resource-group-name > \

--server < sql-server-name > \

--name db1 \

--query id \

--output tsv

Then create the lock:

az resource lock create \

--name PreventDelete-db1 \

--lock-type CanNotDelete \

--resource < database-resource-id > \

--notes " Prevent accidental deletion of db1 "

Azure CLI supports resource-level lock creation with --lock-type CanNotDelete or ReadOnly.

SSMS / T-SQL Clarification

SSMS is not the correct tool for this task.

A delete lock is an Azure Resource Manager control-plane setting, not a SQL data-plane setting. SQL Server Management Studio can manage database objects and run T-SQL, but it cannot create Azure portal deletion protection locks for an Azure SQL Database.

SQL injection attacks are a type of cyberattack that exploit a vulnerability in the application code that interacts with the database. An attacker can inject malicious SQL statements into the user input, such as a form field or a URL parameter, and execute them on the database server, resulting in data theft, corruption, or unauthorized access1.

To protect all the databases on sql37006S95 from SQL injection attacks, you need to follow some best practices for securing your application and database layers. Here are some of the recommended steps:

Use parameterized queries or stored procedures to separate the SQL code from the user input. This will prevent the user input from being interpreted as part of the SQL statement and avoid SQL injection23.

Validate and sanitize the user input before passing it to the database. This will ensure that the input conforms to the expected format and type, and remove any potentially harmful characters or keywords4.

Implement least privilege access for the database users and roles. This will limit the permissions and actions that the application can perform on the database, and reduce the impact of a successful SQL injection attack5.

Enable Advanced Threat Protection for Azure SQL Database. This is a feature that detects and alerts you of anomalous activities and potential threats on your database, such as SQL injection, brute force attacks, or unusual access patterns. You can configure the alert settings and notifications using the Azure portal or PowerShell.

These are some of the steps to protect all the databases on sql37006S95 from SQL injection attacks.