Exam DP-300 is designed for professionals who possess advanced expertise in designing, deploying, and managing database solutions that support diverse workloads. These solutions leverage both traditional SQL Server environments and modern Azure SQL services. This certification is intended for database administrators responsible for managing databases hosted both on-premises and in the cloud using:

• SQL Server on-premises
• Azure SQL Database services

– Role and Responsibilities

As an Azure Database Administrator, your role involves implementing and managing operational tasks for cloud-native and hybrid data platform solutions that utilize SQL Server and Azure SQL technologies. You will employ various tools and automation techniques, including Transact-SQL (T-SQL), to streamline daily administrative operations.

Key responsibilities include:

• Database Management: Oversee configuration, deployment, and maintenance of database systems.
• Ensuring Availability: Implement high availability and disaster recovery strategies.
• Security: Protect data assets through appropriate access controls and compliance measures.
• Performance Monitoring and Optimization: Continuously monitor, troubleshoot, and enhance database performance.

Additionally, you will evaluate and execute migration strategies to move databases between on-premises infrastructure and Azure environments. Collaboration with cross-functional teams, including Azure data engineers, solution architects, developers, and data scientists, is essential for the effective operational management of data platform solutions.

– Recommended Knowledge and Experience

Candidates preparing for this certification should have practical knowledge and hands-on experience with the following Azure data services and environments:

• Azure SQL Database
• Azure SQL Managed Instance
• SQL Server running on Azure Virtual Machines (both Windows and Linux platforms)

Exam Details

Exam DP-300: Administering Microsoft Azure SQL Solutions is designed for database administrators at an intermediate level. Candidates will have 100 minutes to complete the assessment, which is proctored and not open book. The exam may include interactive components to evaluate practical skills. It is available in multiple languages, including English, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, Traditional Chinese, and Spanish. A minimum score of 700 is required to pass. Candidates who use assistive devices or need additional time or accommodations can submit a request to modify their exam experience accordingly.

Course Outline

The exam covers the following topics:

1. Understand how to Plan and Implement Data Platform Resources (20-25%)

Planning and deploying Azure SQL solutions

• Deploying database offerings on selected platforms ( Microsoft Documentation: Create an Azure SQL Database single database)
• Understanding automated deployment
• Apply patches and updates for hybrid and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) deployment
• Deploying hybrid SQL Server solutions
• Recommend an appropriate database offering based on specific requirements
• Evaluating the security aspects of the possible database offering
• Recommending a table partitioning solution
• Recommending a database sharding solution

Configuring resources for scale and performance

• Configure Azure SQL Database for scale and performance
• Configuring Azure SQL Managed Instance for scale and performance
• Configuring SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines for scale and performance
• Configuring table partitioning
• Configuring data compression

Planning and implementing a migration strategy

• Evaluating requirements for the migration ( Microsoft Documentation: Azure Database Migration Service)
• Evaluating offline or online migration strategies
• Implement an online migration strategy ( Microsoft Documentation: Migrate SQL Server to a single database or pooled database in Azure SQL Database online using DMS)
• Implementing an offline migration strategy ( Microsoft Documentation: Migrate SQL Server to Azure SQL Database offline using DMS)
• Perform post migration validations
• Troubleshoot a migration
• Set up SQL Data Sync for Azure
• Implementing a migration to Azure
• Implement a migration between Azure SQL services
• Implementing Azure SQL Managed Instance database copy and move

2. Learn about implementing a Secure Environment (15-20%)

Configuring database authentication and authorization

• Configuring authentication by using Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID
• Creating users from Microsoft Entra identities
• Configure security principals
• Configuring database and object-level permissions using graphical tools
• Applying principle of least privilege for all securables
• Troubleshooting authentication and authorization issues
• Managing authentication and authorization by using T-SQL

Implementing security for data at rest and data in transit

• Implementing Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) ( Microsoft Documentation: Transparent data encryption for SQL Database, SQL Managed Instance, and Azure Synapse Analytics)
• Implement object-level encryption ( Microsoft Documentation: Configure Always Encrypted by using Azure Key Vault)
• Configuring server and database-level firewall rules ( Microsoft Documentation: Server-level versus database-level IP firewall rules, Create a server-level firewall rule using the Azure portal)
• Implementing Always Encrypted ( Microsoft Documentation: Configure Always Encrypted by using the Windows certificate store)
• Implementing Always Encrypted with VBS enclaves
• Configure secure access
• Configuring Transport Layer Security (TLS)

Implementing compliance controls for sensitive data

• Applying a data classification strategy ( Microsoft Documentation: Data classification)
• Configuring server and database audits ( Microsoft Documentation: Auditing for Azure SQL Database and Azure Synapse Analytics)
• Implement data change tracking ( Microsoft Documentation: Enable and Disable Change Tracking (SQL Server))
• Implementing dynamic data masking
• Manage database resources by using Microsoft Purview
• Implementing database ledger in Azure SQL
• Implement row-level security
• Configuring Microsoft Defender for SQL

3. Monitoring, configuring, and optimizing database resources (20–25%)

Monitoring resource activity and performance

• Preparing an operational performance baseline ( Microsoft Documentation: Establish a Performance Baseline)
• Determining sources for performance metrics ( Microsoft Documentation: Sources of monitoring data for Azure Monitor)
• Interpreting performance metrics ( Microsoft Documentation: Monitoring and performance tuning in Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance, Query Performance Insight for Azure SQL Database)
• Configuring and monitor activity and performance
• Monitoring by using SQL Insights
• Monitor by using database watcher
• Monitoring by using Extended Events

Monitoring and optimizing query performance

• Configuring Query Store ( Microsoft Documentation: Query Performance Insight for Azure SQL Database)
• Monitoring by using Query Store
• Identify sessions that cause blocking
• Identifying performance issues using dynamic management views (DMVs)
• Identifying and implementing index changes for queries
• Recommend query construct modifications based on resource usage
• Assessing the use of query hints for query performance
• Review execution plans
• Monitoring by using Intelligent Insights

Configuring database solutions for optimal performance

• Implementing index maintenance tasks
• Implementing statistics maintenance tasks
• Implement database integrity checks
• Configuring database automatic tuning
• Configure server settings for performance
• Configuring Resource Governor for performance
• Implement database-scoped configuration ( Microsoft Documentation: ALTER DATABASE SCOPED CONFIGURATION (Transact-SQL))
• Configuring compute and storage resources for scaling ( Microsoft Documentation: Manage compute for dedicated SQL pool (formerly SQL DW) in Azure Synapse Analytics)
• Configuring intelligent query processing (IQP) ( Microsoft Documentation: Intelligent query processing in SQL databases)

4. Learn about configuring and managing automation of tasks (15–20%)

Creating and managing SQL Server Agent jobs

• Managing schedules for regular maintenance jobs ( Microsoft Documentation: Automate management tasks using database jobs)
• Configuring job alerts and notifications
• Troubleshooting SQL Server Agent jobs

Automating the deployment of database resources

• Automating deployment by using Azure Resource Manager templates (ARM templates) and Bicep
• Automate deployment by using PowerShell
• Automating deployment by using Azure CLI
• Monitoring and troubleshooting deployments

Creating and managing database tasks in Azure

• Creating and configuring elastic jobs
• Creating and configuring database tasks by using automation
• Configuring alerts and notifications on database tasks
• Troubleshooting automated database tasks

5. Planning and configuring a high availability and disaster recovery (HA/DR) environment (20–25%)

Recommend an HADR strategy for a database solution

• Recommending HA/DR strategy based on Recovery Point Objective/Recovery Time Objective (RPO/RTO) requirements
• Evaluatinge HADR for hybrid deployments ( Microsoft Documentation: Hybrid IT: Disaster recovery solutions)
• Evaluating Azure-specific HADR solutions ( Microsoft Documentation: Azure only: Disaster recovery solutions)
• Recommending a testing procedure for an HA/DR solution

Planning and performing backup and restore of a database

• Recommend a database backup and restore strategy
• Performing a database backup by using database tools
• Perform a database restore by using database tools
• Performing a database restore to a point in time ( Microsoft Documentation: Restore a SQL Server Database to a Point in Time (Full Recovery Model))
• Configuring long-term backup retention ( Microsoft Documentation: Manage Azure SQL Database long-term backup retention)
• Backup and restore a database by using T-SQL
• Backing up and restoring to and from cloud storage

Configuring HA/DR for database solutions

• Configure active geo-replication
• Configuring an Always On availability group ( Microsoft Documentation: Manually configure an availability group (SQL Server on Azure VMs))
• Configure auto-failover groups
• Configuring quorum options for a Windows Server Failover Cluster
• Configure Always On Failover Cluster Instances on Azure virtual machines
• Configuring log shipping
• Monitoring an HA/DR solution
• Troubleshooting an HA/DR solution

Microsoft DP-300 Exam FAQs

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Microsoft Certification Exam Policies

Microsoft enforces a comprehensive set of standardized policies for all certification exams to uphold fairness, maintain integrity, and ensure global recognition. These policies are uniformly applied across both online and onsite testing formats.

• Retake Policy
  • Candidates who do not succeed on their initial exam attempt must observe a mandatory 24-hour waiting period before retaking the exam. For any subsequent attempts, a 14-day waiting interval is required between each try. Candidates may attempt the exam up to five times within a 12-month period. Once an exam is successfully passed, it cannot be retaken unless the certification has expired. Each exam attempt is subject to the standard exam fee.
• Rescheduling and Cancellation Policy
  • Candidates may reschedule or cancel their exam appointment without penalty if the request is made at least six business days prior to the scheduled date. Requests made within five business days of the appointment may incur a rescheduling fee. Cancellations less than 24 hours before the exam or no-shows will result in forfeiture of the full exam fee.

Microsoft DP-300 Exam Study Guide

Step 1: Understand the Exam Objectives

Begin your preparation by thoroughly reviewing the official exam objectives provided by Microsoft. This foundational step ensures you have a clear understanding of the specific knowledge areas and skills that will be assessed. Break down the objectives into manageable topics and prioritize your study based on your current expertise and areas needing improvement. A well-structured study plan aligned with the exam objectives helps you maintain focus and measure your progress effectively.

Step 2: Use Official Microsoft Training Courses

Leverage Microsoft’s official training resources tailored for the DP-300 exam. These courses offer comprehensive, up-to-date content designed by subject matter experts, covering both fundamental and advanced concepts. Engaging with structured training helps build a solid theoretical foundation while providing practical insights into real-world applications. Whenever possible, complement your learning with hands-on labs included in the official curriculum to reinforce your understanding through practical experience. The training modules are:

• Planning and implementing data platform resources
• Implementing a secure environment for a database service
• Monitoring and optimizing operational resources in Azure SQL
• Optimizing query performance in Azure SQL
• Automating database tasks for Azure SQL
• Planning and implementing a high availability and disaster recovery environment

Step 3: Join Study Groups and Online Communities

Participating in study groups or online communities provides invaluable support and motivation. Interacting with fellow candidates enables you to share resources, discuss challenging topics, and exchange exam strategies. Community engagement often exposes you to diverse perspectives and practical tips that enhance your preparation. Active participation also fosters accountability and keeps your study efforts consistent over time.

Step 4: Take Microsoft DP-300 Practice Tests

Incorporate regular practice exams into your study regimen to evaluate your understanding and readiness. Practice tests simulate the actual exam environment, allowing you to become familiar with the question formats and time constraints. After each practice session, review your answers thoroughly—especially the ones you missed—to identify knowledge gaps. Focus subsequent study efforts on these weaker areas to improve your overall competency. Continuous practice not only builds confidence but also sharpens your ability to apply concepts quickly and accurately under exam conditions.