Exam 70-765: Provisioning SQL Databases
The Exam 70-765: Provisioning SQL Databases exam will validate your expertise in the integration of Azure applications with external resources, in deploying models, up-gradation and migration of databases, and applications and services. This certification aims to enhance your knowledge in all the latest features in SQL Server Databases, along with the important capabilities across the SQL Server data platform. This certification exam is one of the two tests that any aspirant must pass so that he/she is eligible to earn a Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA): 2016 Database Administration certification.
Target Audience
This examination is intended for developers and architects who possess a working knowledge regarding cloud service models and service model architectures, data storage options, and data synchronization techniques. It is primarily focused on the below-given individuals –
- Architects
- Senior Developers
- Infrastructure specialists
- Development leads
Recommended Knowledge and Related Certifications
Candidates must possess sufficient skills and knowledge in implementing SQL in Azure, learn, and know how to manage databases and instances, also need to know about managing storage. Candidates are expected to have a wider working knowledge of deployment models, upgrading and migrating databases, and applications and services, together with integrating Azure applications with external resources.
The related certifications are –
- MCSA: Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Operations – This certification demonstrates a candidate`s expertise in Microsoft Dynamics 365 technologies to put into use the fundamental technical and development tasks which are essential to customize Microsoft Dynamics 365 for operations.
- MCSA: SQL 2016 Database Administration – This certification shows a candidate`s skills with database installation, maintenance, configuration, and provisioning tasks.
Exam Details
| Exam Name Provisioning SQL Databases | Exam Code 70-765 |
| Exam Duration 120 mins | Exam Format Multiple Choice and Multi-Response Questions |
| Exam Type SQL Server 2016/2017/2019 | Number of Questions 40-60 Questions |
| Eligibility/Pre-Requisite MCSA | Exam Fee $165 USD |
| Exam Language English | Validity 700 (on a scale of 1-1000) |
Exam Result
Right after successfully completing your Exam 70-765: Provisioning SQL Databases, you will be notified of your pass or fail status within a few minutes of completing your exam. Also, printed reports providing your exam score and feedback on your performance will also be provided to you. Your score will be forwarded to Microsoft within five business days. As far as Beta exam results are concerned, your result will be visible on your Microsoft transcript. However, you will see your result only if you’ve achieved a passing score. Also, this result will be published on Pearson VUE’s site within 14 business days, after the live exam is published.
Note – If you are able to clear the beta exam, you will earn Microsoft credit for that exam and will also receive a resulting certification. Moreover, you are not required to retake the exam in its live version after clearing its beta version.
Exam Retake Policy
General Microsoft Certification exam has the following retake policy:
- If a candidate fails to achieve the passing marks in the exam the first time, the candidate must wait 24 to 30 hours before retaking the exam. Candidates can log onto their certification dashboard and reschedule the exam after the aforesaid time period.
- If a candidate fails to get the passing scores the second time, he/she must wait for at least 14 days before retaking the exam a third time.
- For the fourth and fifth subsequent exam retakes a 14 day waiting period is required.
- Any candidate is not liable to give an exam more than 5 times per year. He/she is eligible for the exams 12 months from that date.
Exam retakes exceptions will be accepted when there is a failure due to the lab crash, internet connectivity issues, equipment failure, or in case of requests that include a Pearson VUE case number. The exception requests must be mailed to [email protected]. These requests include candidate ID, first/last name, email associated with the candidate ID, exam registration ID, exam number, description of error, Pearson VUE case number.
Exam Cancellation policy
For Microsoft exams, there is no charge if any candidate reschedules/cancel an examination appointment at least 6 business days prior to your appointment. If he/she cancels or reschedules the examination within 5 days of the registered exam time, some fee will be applied. If he/she fails to cancel/ reschedule the appointment or fails to appear for the appointment at least 24 hours before the candidate`s scheduled exam appointment, then he/she forfeits the full examination fees.
Recertification Policy
Microsoft certification is expected to expire when the products are out of mainstream support although the person`s certification will be recognized. Officially, the MCSA certification will never expire.
For More Details See – Microsoft 70-765: Provisioning SQL Databases FAQ
Course Outline
Implement SQL in Azure (40-45%)
- Deploying a Microsoft Azure SQL database
- Choosing a service tier (Microsoft Documentation: Service tiers in the DTU-based purchase model)
- Creating servers and databases (Microsoft Documentation: Create a Database, Create an Azure Database for MySQL server in the Azure portal)
- Creating a sysadmin account (Microsoft Documentation: Authorize database access to SQL Database, SQL Managed Instance, and Azure Synapse Analytics)
- Configuring elastic pools (Microsoft Documentation: Manage elastic pools in Azure SQL Database)
- Plan for SQL Server installation
- Planning for an IaaS or on-premises deployment (Microsoft Documentation: Plan and prepare for on-premises deployments)
- Selecting the appropriate size for a virtual machine (Microsoft Documentation: Sizes for virtual machines in Azure)
- Planning storage pools based on performance requirements (Microsoft Documentation: Planning volumes in Storage Spaces Direct)
- Evaluating best practices for installation
- Designing a storage layout for a SQL Server virtual machine (Microsoft Documentation: Storage configuration for SQL Server VMs)
- Deploy SQL Server instances
- Deploying a SQL Server instance in IaaS and on-premises (Microsoft Documentation: SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines (Windows))
- Manually install SQL Server on an Azure virtual machine
- Provisioning an Azure virtual machine to host a SQL Server instance (Microsoft Documentation: How to use the Azure portal to provision a Windows virtual machine with SQL Server)
- Automating the deployment of SQL Server databases (Microsoft Documentation: Automate tasks in SQL Server)
- Deploying SQL Server by using templates (Microsoft Documentation: Microsoft.Sql servers template reference)
- Deploy SQL Server databases to Azure virtual machines
- Migrating an on-premises SQL Server database to an Azure virtual machine (Microsoft Documentation: Extend and migrate on-premises site to Microsoft Azure, Migrate a SQL Server database to SQL Server on an Azure virtual machine)
- Generating benchmark data for performance needs (Microsoft Documentation: Benchmarking a disk)
- Performing performance tuning on Azure IaaS
- Supporting availability sets in Azure
Manage databases and instances (30-35%)
- Configure secure access to Microsoft Azure SQL databases
- Configuring firewall rules (Microsoft Documentation: Configure the Windows Firewall to Allow SQL Server Access)
- Configuring Always Encrypted for Azure SQL Database (Microsoft Documentation: Configure Always Encrypted by using Azure Key Vault)
- Configuring cell-level encryption (Microsoft Documentation: Encrypt a Column of Data)
- Configuring dynamic data masking (Microsoft Documentation: Dynamic Data Masking)
- Configuring transparent data encryption (TDE) (Microsoft Documentation: Transparent Data Encryption (TDE))
- Configure SQL Server performance settings
- Configuring database performance settings (Microsoft Documentation: Configure databases for performance)
- Configuring max server memory (Microsoft Documentation: Server memory configuration options)
- Configuring the database scope (Microsoft Documentation: ALTER DATABASE SCOPED CONFIGURATION (Transact-SQL))
- Configuring operators and alerts (Microsoft Documentation: Assign Alerts to an Operator, Create an Operator)
- Manage SQL Server instances
- Creating databases (Microsoft Documentation: Create a Database)
- Managing files and filegroups (Microsoft Documentation: Database Files and Filegroups)
- Managing system database files
- Configuring temp-DB (Microsoft Documentation: tempdb database)
Manage Storage (30-35%)
- Managing SQL Storage
- Managing SMB file shares (Microsoft Documentation: Overview of file sharing using the SMB 3 protocol in Windows Server)
- Managing stretch databases (Microsoft Documentation: Stretch Database)
- Configuring Azure storage (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Storage)
- Changing service tiers (Microsoft Documentation: Scale single database resources in Azure SQL Database)
- Reviewing wait statistics (Microsoft Documentation: sys.dm_os_wait_stats (Transact-SQL))
- Managing storage pools (Microsoft Documentation: Storage Spaces overview)
- Recovering from failed storage (Microsoft Documentation: Disaster recovery and storage account failover)
- Performing database maintenance
- Monitoring DMVs (Microsoft Documentation: Monitoring Microsoft Azure SQL Database with DMV)
- Maintaining indexes (Microsoft Documentation: Indexes)
- Automating maintenance tasks (Microsoft Documentation: Automatic maintenance)
- Updating statistics (Microsoft Documentation: UPDATE STATISTICS (Transact-SQL))
- Verifying database integrity (Microsoft Documentation: Check Database Integrity Task)
- Recovering from database corruption (Microsoft Documentation: Troubleshoot database corruption on Azure Database for MySQL)
Microsoft 70-765: Provisioning SQL Databases Preparation Guide
Instructor-led Training
Course 20765-C: Provisioning SQL Databases
This course aims at providing students with knowledge regarding how to provision SQL databases both on-premise and in SQL Azure. This instructor laid training for 5 days with 10 modules is for the individuals who administer and maintain SQL Server Databases. These individuals are more likely to perform maintenance and database administration as their core area of work and responsibility. This course can also be undertaken by those who develop applications that deliver content from SQL Server databases. The essential prerequisites for this course include –
- Experience with database design
- Candidates must possess some working knowledge of Transact –SQL
- Also, working knowledge of relational databases
- Finally, some basic knowledge regarding the MS Windows operating system and its core functionality
Microsoft Books
Microsoft provides reference books that can be helpful while studying for the exam. These books contain various useful resources that can be used while studying. Visit Microsoft Press books, to find relevant books to get a deeper insight into the exam objectives, and hence crack the test, and earn your certification. Some of the recommended books are –
- Exam Ref 70-765 Provisioning SQL Databases
- Exam Ref 70-765 Provisioning SQL Databases with Practice Test
- MCSA SQL 2016 Database Administration Exam Ref 2-pack: Exam Refs 70-764 and 70-765
Join Microsoft Community
A healthy discussion is always beneficial, no matter where it is done. The prospects of getting resolutions to an issue increase steeply when a greater number of people are involved. Also, multiple viewpoints make the stuff more dynamic. These discussions make the studies more comprehensive. Introverts get a chance to express themselves, who might otherwise prefer staying out of discussions. Forums work really well to build a community that is essential for understanding others.
Practice Tests
Microsoft offers a Practice Test for the candidates taking its certification exam to give a better understanding of the exam objectives. Regardless of how you prepare for the Microsoft Exam 70-765, a practice run or two can help you in more ways than you might expect. Taking a practice test is a great way to diversify your study strategy and ensure the best possible results for the real thing. Analyzing your answers will help you identify the areas where you need to give special attention to, and will also let you know your alignment with the exam objectives. So take the Microsoft 70-765: Provisioning SQL Databases Practice Test.
