DP-300: Administering Microsoft Azure SQL Solutions Training

Prepare to maintain SQL databases on Azure

• Understand the role of Azure Database Administrator as it fits in with other data platform roles.
• Describe the key differences between the SQL Server-based database options in Azure.
• Describe other features for Azure SQL platforms available.

Deploy IaaS solutions with Azure SQL

• Explore the basics of SQL Server in an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offering
• Learn the available options for provisioning and deployment
• Deploy SQL Server into an Azure Virtual Machine

Deploy PaaS solutions with Azure SQL

• Gain an understanding SQL Server in a Platform as a Service (PaaS) offering
• Understand PaaS provisioning and deployment options
• Understand elastic pools
• Examine Azure SQL Managed Instances
• Explore Azure SQL Edge
• Configure a template for PaaS deployment

Evaluate strategies for migrating to Azure SQL

• Evaluate different Azure migration options when moving your SQL environment to the cloud.
• Understand how SQL Server compatibility level affects database behavior.
• Understand the differences between private and public preview options.

Migrate SQL Server workloads to Azure SQL Database

• Explore the advantages, capabilities, and migration possibilities offered by Azure SQL Database.
• Migrate databases using Azure SQL Migration extension for Azure Data Studio and tracking database migration activities.
• Use transactional replication as an online method to migrate to Azure SQL Database.
• Explore several other methods for migrating SQL Server databases to Azure SQL Database.

Migrate SQL Server workloads to Azure SQL Managed Instance

• Explore the advantages, capabilities, and migration possibilities offered by Azure SQL Managed Instance.
• Learn how Log Replay Service works to migrate to Azure SQL Managed Instance.
• Understand how Managed Instance link feature works in a migration scenario.
• Load and move data to and from Azure SQL Managed Instance.
• Explore several other methods for migrating SQL Server databases to Azure SQL Database.

Configure database authentication and authorization

• Learn about authentication options for Azure SQL Database
• Create various security principals
• Configure permissions within a SQL database
• Identify authentication and authorization failures

Protect data in-transit and at rest

• Understand the data encryption options available in the various platforms
• Implement object level encryption
• Understand the difference between database and server firewall rules for Azure SQL Database
• Explore Always Encrypted with secure enclaves

Implement compliance controls for sensitive data

• Plan and implement data classification in Azure SQL Database
• Understand and configure row-level security and dynamic data masking
• Understand the usage of Microsoft Defender for SQL
• Explore how Azure SQL Database Ledger works

Describe performance monitoring

• Review potential performance issues.
• Identify critical Azure metrics.
• Learn how to collect metrics for an established baseline.
• Use extended events for performance analysis.
• Understand Azure SQL Database Intelligent Insights.

Configure SQL Server resources for optimal performance

• Understand your options for configuration of Azure storage
• Learn how to configure TempDB data files in SQL Server
• Learn how to choose the right type of VM for SQL Server workloads
• Understand the use cases and configuration of Resource Governor in SQL Server

Configure databases for optimal performance

• Understand database scoped configuration options
• Understand maintenance tasks related to indexing and statistics
• Understand the features of Intelligent Query Processing (IQP)
• Explore the automatic tuning feature in Azure

Explore query performance optimization

• Generate and save execution plans
• Compare the different types of execution plans
• Understand how and why query plans are generated
• Explain the purpose and benefits of the Query Store
• Investigate the available reports and data in the Query Store

Explore performance-based design

• Explore normal forms and how they affect database design
• Choose appropriate datatypes for your data
• Evaluate appropriate index types

Evaluate performance improvements

• Determine when changing indexes or defining new ones can affect performance
• Evaluate wait statistics as an aid in finding areas for performance improvement
• Understand how query hints work, and when to use them

Automate deployment of database resources

• Describe the deployment models available on Azure
• Deploy database resources using PowerShell and Azure CLI
• Deploy an Azure Resource Manager template and Bicep
• Understand the difference between multiple command-line options

Create and manage SQL Agent jobs

• Schedule necessary maintenance activities for your databases.
• Configure notifications and alerts on SQL Server Agent jobs, and SQL Server.
• Configure alerts based on performance monitor values.

Manage Azure PaaS tasks using automation

• Understand the benefits of Azure policy
• Explore the capabilities of Azure Automation
• Configure elastic jobs
• Use Logic Apps for database workflow

Describe high availability and disaster recovery strategies

• Define recovery time objective and recovery point objective
• Explore the available high availability and disaster recovery options for both IaaS and PaaS
• Devise an appropriate high availability and disaster recovery strategy

Explore IaaS and PaaS solutions for high availability and disaster recovery

• Explore options for deploying a WSFC in Azure
• Explore options for deploying an AG in Azure
• Implement Temporal Tables
• Plan active geo-replication and auto-failover groups

Back up and restore databases

• Explore backup and restore options for IaaS
• Implement backup and restore for PaaS

• Provision SQL Server on an Azure Virtual Machine
• Provision an Azure SQL Database
• Authorize access to Azure SQL Database with Azure Active Directory
• Configure Azure SQL Database firewall rules
• Enable Microsoft Defender for SQL and Data classification
• Isolate performance problems through monitoring
• Detect and correct fragmentation issues
• Identify and resolve blocking issues
• Identify database design issues
• Isolate problem areas in poorly performing queries in a SQL Database
• Deploy Azure SQL Database using Azure Resource Manager template
• Create a CPU status alert for a SQL Server
• Deploy an automation runbook to automatically rebuild indexes
• Configure geo-replication for Azure SQL Database
• Backup to URL and Restore from URL

The answer is no DP-300 does not expire. However, one needs to renew the exam six months before expiring. The renewal of the exam is free.

The answer is yes. DP-300 is a valuable certification for professionals who are beginning their journey with cloud computing. It is also beneficial for individuals testing skills in managing, and implementing Azure Database Solutions.