Skills at a glance

• Plan and implement data platform resources (20–25%)

• Implement a secure environment (15–20%)

• Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources (20–25%)

• Configure and manage automation of tasks (15–20%)

• Plan and configure a high availability and disaster recovery (HA/DR) environment (20–25%)

Plan and implement data platform resources (20–25%)

Implement a secure environment (15–20%)

Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources (20–25%)

Configure and manage automation of tasks (15–20%)

Plan and configure a high availability and disaster recovery (HA/DR) environment (20–25%)

Plan and implement data platform resources (20–25%)

Plan and deploy Azure SQL solutions

• Deploy database offerings on selected platforms

• Understand automated deployment

• Apply patches and updates for hybrid and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) deployment

• Deploy hybrid SQL Server solutions

• Recommend an appropriate database offering based on specific requirements

• Evaluate the security aspects of the possible database offering

• Recommend a table partitioning solution

• Recommend a database sharding solution

Deploy database offerings on selected platforms

Understand automated deployment

Apply patches and updates for hybrid and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) deployment

Deploy hybrid SQL Server solutions

Recommend an appropriate database offering based on specific requirements

Evaluate the security aspects of the possible database offering

Recommend a table partitioning solution

Recommend a database sharding solution

Configure resources for scale and performance

• Configure Azure SQL Database for scale and performance

• Configure Azure SQL Managed Instance for scale and performance

• Configure SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines for scale and performance

• Configure table partitioning

• Configure data compression

Configure Azure SQL Database for scale and performance

Configure Azure SQL Managed Instance for scale and performance

Configure SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines for scale and performance

Configure table partitioning

Configure data compression

Plan and implement a migration strategy

• Evaluate requirements for the migration

• Evaluate offline or online migration strategies

• Implement an online migration strategy

• Implement an offline migration strategy

• Perform post migration validations

• Troubleshoot a migration

• Set up SQL Data Sync for Azure

• Implement a migration to Azure

• Implement a migration between Azure SQL services

• Implement Azure SQL Managed Instance database copy and move

Evaluate requirements for the migration

Evaluate offline or online migration strategies

Implement an online migration strategy

Implement an offline migration strategy

Perform post migration validations

Troubleshoot a migration

Set up SQL Data Sync for Azure

Implement a migration to Azure

Implement a migration between Azure SQL services

Implement Azure SQL Managed Instance database copy and move

Implement a secure environment (15–20%)

Configure database authentication and authorization

• Configure authentication by using Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID

• Create users from Microsoft Entra identities

• Configure security principals

• Configure database and object-level permissions using graphical tools

• Apply the principle of least privilege for all securables

• Troubleshoot authentication and authorization issues

• Manage authentication and authorization by using T-SQL

Configure authentication by using Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID

Create users from Microsoft Entra identities

Configure security principals

Configure database and object-level permissions using graphical tools

Apply the principle of least privilege for all securables

Troubleshoot authentication and authorization issues

Manage authentication and authorization by using T-SQL

Implement security for data at rest and data in transit

• Implement transparent data encryption (TDE)

• Implement object-level encryption

• Configure server- and database-level firewall rules

• Implement Always Encrypted

• Implement Always Encrypted with VBS enclaves

• Configure secure access

• Configure Transport Layer Security (TLS)

Implement transparent data encryption (TDE)

Implement object-level encryption

Configure server- and database-level firewall rules

Implement Always Encrypted

Implement Always Encrypted with VBS enclaves

Configure secure access

Configure Transport Layer Security (TLS)

Implement compliance controls for sensitive data

• Apply a data classification strategy

• Configure server and database audits

• Implement data change tracking

• Implement dynamic data masking

• Manage database resources by using Microsoft Purview

• Implement database ledger in Azure SQL

• Implement row-level security

• Configure Microsoft Defender for Azure SQL

Apply a data classification strategy

Configure server and database audits

Implement data change tracking

Implement dynamic data masking

Manage database resources by using Microsoft Purview

Implement database ledger in Azure SQL

Implement row-level security

Configure Microsoft Defender for Azure SQL

Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources (20–25%)

Monitor resource activity and performance

• Prepare an operational performance baseline

• Determine sources for performance metrics

• Interpret performance metrics

• Configure and monitor activity and performance

• Monitor by using SQL Insights

• Monitor by using database watcher

• Monitor by using Extended Events

Prepare an operational performance baseline

Determine sources for performance metrics

Interpret performance metrics

Configure and monitor activity and performance

Monitor by using SQL Insights

Monitor by using database watcher

Monitor by using Extended Events

Monitor and optimize query performance

• Configure Query Store

• Monitor by using Query Store

• Identify sessions that cause blocking

• Identify performance issues using dynamic management views (DMVs)

• Identify and implement index changes for queries

• Recommend query construct modifications based on resource usage

• Assess the use of query hints for query performance

• Review execution plans

• Monitor by using Intelligent Insights

Configure Query Store

Monitor by using Query Store

Identify sessions that cause blocking

Identify performance issues using dynamic management views (DMVs)

Identify and implement index changes for queries

Recommend query construct modifications based on resource usage

Assess the use of query hints for query performance

Review execution plans

Monitor by using Intelligent Insights

Configure database solutions for optimal performance

• Implement index maintenance tasks

• Implement statistics maintenance tasks

• Implement database integrity checks

• Configure database automatic tuning

• Configure server settings for performance

• Configure Resource Governor for performance

• Implement database-scoped configuration

• Configure compute and storage resources for scaling

• Configure intelligent query processing (IQP)

Implement index maintenance tasks

Implement statistics maintenance tasks

Implement database integrity checks

Configure database automatic tuning

Configure server settings for performance

Configure Resource Governor for performance

Implement database-scoped configuration

Configure compute and storage resources for scaling

Configure intelligent query processing (IQP)

Configure and manage automation of tasks (15–20%)

Create and manage SQL Server Agent jobs

• Manage schedules for regular maintenance jobs

• Configure job alerts and notifications

• Troubleshoot SQL Server Agent jobs

Manage schedules for regular maintenance jobs

Configure job alerts and notifications

Troubleshoot SQL Server Agent jobs

Automate deployment of database resources

• Automate deployment by using Azure Resource Manager (ARM) and Bicep templates

• Automate deployment by using PowerShell

• Automate deployment by using Azure CLI

• Monitor and troubleshoot deployments

Automate deployment by using Azure Resource Manager (ARM) and Bicep templates

Automate deployment by using PowerShell

Automate deployment by using Azure CLI

Monitor and troubleshoot deployments

Create and manage database tasks in Azure

• Create and configure elastic jobs

• Create and configure database tasks by using automation

• Configure alerts and notifications on database tasks

• Troubleshoot automated database tasks

Create and configure elastic jobs

Create and configure database tasks by using automation

Configure alerts and notifications on database tasks

Troubleshoot automated database tasks

Plan and configure a high availability and disaster recovery (HA/DR) environment (20–25%)

Recommend an HA/DR strategy for database solutions

• Recommend HA/DR strategy based on Recovery Point Objective/Recovery Time Objective (RPO/RTO) requirements

• Evaluate HA/DR for hybrid deployments

• Evaluate Azure-specific HA/DR solutions

• Recommend a testing procedure for an HA/DR solution

Recommend HA/DR strategy based on Recovery Point Objective/Recovery Time Objective (RPO/RTO) requirements

Evaluate HA/DR for hybrid deployments

Evaluate Azure-specific HA/DR solutions

Recommend a testing procedure for an HA/DR solution

Plan and perform backup and restore of a database

• Recommend a database backup and restore strategy

• Perform a database backup by using database tools

• Perform a database restore by using database tools

• Perform a database restore to a point in time

• Configure long-term backup retention

• Backup and restore a database by using T-SQL

• Backup and restore to and from cloud storage

Recommend a database backup and restore strategy

Perform a database backup by using database tools

Perform a database restore by using database tools

Perform a database restore to a point in time

Configure long-term backup retention

Backup and restore a database by using T-SQL

Backup and restore to and from cloud storage

Configure HA/DR for database solutions

• Configure active geo-replication

• Configure an Always On availability group on Azure virtual machines

• Configure failover groups

• Configure quorum options for a Windows Server Failover Cluster

• Configure Always On Failover Cluster Instances on Azure virtual machines

• Configure log shipping

• Monitor an HA/DR solution

• Troubleshoot an HA/DR solution

Configure active geo-replication

Configure an Always On availability group on Azure virtual machines

Configure failover groups

Configure quorum options for a Windows Server Failover Cluster

Configure Always On Failover Cluster Instances on Azure virtual machines

Configure log shipping

Monitor an HA/DR solution

Troubleshoot an HA/DR solution