Azure DP-300 study plan

Compare the Azure SQL deployment options (Azure SQL Database single database, elastic pool, Azure SQL Managed Instance, SQL Server on Azure VM) and pick the right one for five short scenario descriptions

Provision an Azure SQL Database using the vCore and DTU purchasing models, and record the cost and feature differences in a table you write yourself

Configure service tier, compute tier (provisioned vs serverless), hardware generation, and max size on an existing database, then verify the change in the portal and via Azure CLI

Deploy an Azure SQL Managed Instance and note the networking prerequisites (subnet delegation, NSG rules, route table) it required

Evaluate Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server against Azure SQL Database for a given workload requirement list

Create tables, indexes, and schemas in Azure SQL Database using T-SQL and explain how the resource governor and database scoped configurations affect the workload

Configure an elastic pool, move a database into it, and evaluate eDTU/vCore sizing against a simulated load

Implement authentication with Microsoft Entra ID: create an Entra admin, a contained database user, and connect using a managed identity from an Azure-hosted app

Configure server and database firewall rules and compare them with a private endpoint connection

Enable Transparent Data Encryption with a customer-managed key stored in Azure Key Vault and confirm the encryption state

Implement row-level security with a security predicate and prove that a restricted user sees only permitted rows

Configure dynamic data masking on sensitive columns and verify masked output for a low-privilege login

Set up Always Encrypted (or Secure Enclaves) for a column and describe what the client driver must supply

Enable Microsoft Defender for SQL, run a vulnerability assessment, and triage the findings it produces

Configure SQL auditing to a storage account or Log Analytics workspace and query the resulting audit records

Classify columns with sensitivity labels and export the classification report

Enable Query Store and use it to find the top three regressed queries in a test database after a forced plan change

Capture and interpret wait statistics, blocking chains, and deadlock graphs from DMVs and Extended Events

Configure database-scoped configurations, including MAXDOP and legacy cardinality estimation, and measure the effect on a query

Write and schedule an index maintenance and statistics update script using Azure Automation or a SQL Agent job on Managed Instance

Deploy a database change through a Bicep or ARM template and through a SQL script in a repeatable pipeline

Create Azure Monitor alerts on CPU, DTU/vCore consumption, storage, and deadlocks, and route them to an action group

Configure diagnostic settings to send SQL telemetry to Log Analytics and write a KQL query that surfaces the slowest queries

Enable automatic tuning (CREATE INDEX, DROP INDEX, FORCE PLAN) and review its recommendations and reversals

Automate a recurring task using elastic database jobs across multiple databases in a pool

Build a PowerShell or Azure CLI script that scales a database tier on a schedule and validate it runs unattended

Configure automated backups, verify the retention period, and perform a point-in-time restore to a new database

Perform a geo-restore from a replicated backup and record the achievable RPO/RTO for that path

Implement a failover group between two regions and execute a planned and a forced failover

Configure active geo-replication and read-scale out to a secondary, then test read-only connectivity

Script the full deployment of a database, its firewall rules, and its failover group as code so it can be recreated end to end

Enable zone redundancy or Business Critical tier and explain how it differs from geo-replication for availability

Configure an Always On availability group for SQL Server on Azure VMs (or describe the listener and quorum requirements in detail if you cannot build it)

Set up a log-shipping or backup-to-URL strategy and verify a restore from blob storage

Design an HA/DR topology for a stated RPO of 5 minutes and RTO of 1 hour, and justify each component

Add backup/restore and failover checks to the automation script from week 6

Take at least two full-length timed practice assessments and log every missed question by domain

Re-drill the two weakest domains with hands-on labs rather than reading

Rewrite your own summary sheet for each domain from memory, then correct it against documentation

Re-run the automation and restore scripts end to end to confirm the environment still works

Review cost, security, and HA trade-offs across all five domains in a single consolidated architecture diagram