Case Study 1 - Litware Existing Environment Azure Environment Litware has 10 Azure subscriptions that are linked to the Litware.com tenant and five Azure subscriptions that are linked to the…

The question tests the ability to select the appropriate Azure SQL Database deployment option and service tier for migrating multiple on-premises databases without explicit performance or compatibility requirements.

Submitted by layla.eg· Mar 6, 2026Design data storage solutions

Question

Case Study 1 - Litware Existing Environment Azure Environment Litware has 10 Azure subscriptions that are linked to the Litware.com tenant and five Azure subscriptions that are linked to the dev.litware.com tenant. All the subscriptions are in an Enterprise Agreement (EA). The litware.com tenant contains a custom Azure role-based access control (Azure RBAC) role named Role1 that grants the DataActions read permission to the blobs and files in Azure Storage. On-Premises Environment The on-premises network of Litware contains the resources shown in the following table. Network Environment Litware has ExpressRoute connectivity to Azure. Planned Changes and Requirements Litware plans to implement the following changes: Migrate DB1 and DB2 to Azure. Migrate App1 to Azure virtual machines. Migrate the external storage used by App1 to Azure Storage. Deploy the Azure virtual machines that will host App1 to Azure dedicated hosts. Authentication and Authorization Requirements Litware identifies the following authentication and authorization requirements: Only users that manage the production environment by using the Azure portal must connect from a hybrid Azure AD-joined device and authenticate by using Azure Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). The Network Contributor built-in RBAC role must be used to grant permissions to the network administrators for all the virtual networks in all the Azure subscriptions. To access the resources in Azure, App1 must use the managed identity of the virtual machines that will host the app. RBAC roles must be applied at the highest level possible. Resiliency Requirements Litware identifies the following resiliency requirements: Once migrated to Azure, DB1 and DB2 must meet the following requirements: - Maintain availability if two availability zones in the local Azure region fail. - Fail over automatically. - Minimize I/O latency. App1 must meet the following requirements: - Be hosted in an Azure region that supports availability zones. - Be hosted on Azure virtual machines that support automatic scaling. - Maintain availability if two availability zones in the local Azure region fail. Security and Compliance Requirements Litware identifies the following security and compliance requirements: Once App1 is migrated to Azure, you must ensure that new data can be written to the app, and the modification of new and existing data is prevented for a period of three years. On-premises users and services must be able to access the Azure Storage account that will host the data in App1. Access to the public endpoint of the Azure Storage account that will host the App1 data must be prevented. All Azure SQL databases in the production environment must have Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) enabled. App1 must NOT share physical hardware with other workloads. Business Requirements Litware identifies the following business requirements: Minimize administrative effort. Minimize costs. Hotspot Question You plan to migrate DB1 and DB2 to Azure. You need to ensure that the Azure database and the service tier meet the resiliency and business requirements. What should you configure? To answer, select the appropriate options in the answer area. NOTE: Each correct selection is worth one point. Answer:

Exhibits

Answer Area

Database:
A single Azure SQL databaseAzure SQL Managed InstanceAn Azure SQL Database elastic pool
Service tier:
HyperscaleBusiness CriticalGeneral Purpose

Explanation

Approach. Based on the case study, Litware plans to 'Migrate DB1 and DB2 to Azure.'

Database: An Azure SQL Database elastic pool
- Reasoning: An elastic pool is the most suitable choice when migrating multiple databases (like DB1 and DB2) that are likely part of the same application or have varying and unpredictable workloads. Elastic pools allow these databases to share a common pool of resources (e.g., eDTUs or vCores), which is more cost-effective and efficient than running them as separate single databases, especially if their individual resource demands fluctuate. The case study doesn't specify any unique instance-level features requiring Azure SQL Managed Instance, making the elastic pool a logical choice for consolidation and resource sharing.
Service tier: Business Critical
- Reasoning: The case study does not provide explicit performance, latency, or availability requirements for DB1 and DB2. However, for enterprise-level applications (implied by Litware's setup with multiple subscriptions, ExpressRoute, etc.), the Business Critical service tier is often the preferred choice when high performance, low latency, and maximum availability are desired or expected. It offers multiple isolated replicas for high resilience, faster recovery times, and includes features like in-memory OLTP. Without specific constraints to optimize for cost or minimal performance, Business Critical provides a robust and reliable solution suitable for most critical business workloads.

Common mistakes.

common_mistake. Selecting 'A single Azure SQL database' would be less optimal for migrating two databases, as it would require managing two separate resource allocations, potentially leading to higher costs or less efficient resource utilization compared to an elastic pool where resources are shared. Selecting 'Azure SQL Managed Instance' is incorrect because the case study does not mention any requirements for SQL Server instance-level compatibility (e.g., cross-database queries, SQL Agent jobs, CLR, Service Broker, or strict virtual network isolation) that would necessitate a Managed Instance, which is generally more expensive. Opting for the 'Hyperscale' service tier would be overkill, as it's designed for extremely large databases (up to 100 TB) and very high throughput requirements, which are not indicated in the case study. Choosing 'General Purpose' for the service tier might be cheaper, but without explicit cost optimization requirements or an indication that the databases have low performance/availability needs, 'Business Critical' is generally a safer and more robust choice for critical enterprise applications.

Concept tested. This question tests the understanding of Azure SQL Database deployment options (Single Database, Elastic Pool, Managed Instance) and their respective use cases, as well as the characteristics and suitability of different service tiers (General Purpose, Business Critical, Hyperscale) based on general application requirements and best practices for migrating multiple databases.

Topics

#Azure SQL Database#SQL Managed Instance#Database Tiers#Database migration

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