20 Azure Synapse Interview Questions and Answers

Azure Synapse is a cloud-based data warehouse service that enables businesses to store and analyze large amounts of data. As a result, it is becoming increasingly popular among businesses of all sizes. If you are interviewing for a position that involves Azure Synapse, it is important to be prepared to answer questions about the service. In this article, we will review some of the most common Azure Synapse interview questions.

Azure Synapse Interview Questions and Answers

Here are 20 commonly asked Azure Synapse interview questions and answers to prepare you for your interview:

1. What is Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics?

Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics is a cloud-based data warehouse service that helps businesses collect, store, and analyze large amounts of data. The service is designed to be scalable and easy to use, and it offers a variety of features that make it ideal for businesses of all sizes.

2. Which cloud platform does Azure Synapse run on?

Azure Synapse runs on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform.

3. How do you connect to your data in Azure Synapse Analytics?

You can connect to your data in Azure Synapse Analytics using a variety of tools, including the Azure Synapse Analytics portal, SQL Server Management Studio, and the Synapse Studio. You can also connect to your data using a variety of programming languages, including Python, R, and .NET.

4. Can you explain what a workspace is in the context of Azure Synapse?

A workspace is a logical container in Azure Synapse that houses all the resources and artifacts needed for data analysis. This includes data warehouses, data lakes, databases, notebooks, and so on. All these resources are integrated and can be accessed and shared by users in the workspace.

5. Is it possible to migrate an existing SQL Server database to Azure Synapse Analytics? If yes, then how can this be done?

Yes, it is possible to migrate an existing SQL Server database to Azure Synapse Analytics. This can be done by using the Azure Database Migration Service, which will help you to migrate your data and schema from SQL Server to Azure Synapse Analytics.

6. What are some of the features offered by Azure Synapse Analytics?

Azure Synapse Analytics is a cloud-based data warehouse that offers a number of features, including the ability to scale on demand, support for big data workloads, and integration with other Azure services.

7. What are some common use cases for Azure Synapse Analytics?

Azure Synapse Analytics is a cloud-based data warehouse service that is used for data storage, analysis, and reporting. It is often used for data warehousing, data mining, data analysis, and data visualization.

8. What’s the difference between Azure Data Lake Storage Gen1 and Gen2?

Azure Data Lake Storage Gen1 is designed to capture data of any size, type, and ingestion speed. It’s a cost-effective storage service for large-scale data analytics that doesn’t require a Hadoop cluster. Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 is the next-generation data lake solution that is built on Azure Blob Storage. It combines the power of a Hadoop compatible file system with integrated blob storage, providing optimized performance for analytical workloads.

9. Does Azure Synapse Analytics provide real-time analytics capabilities? If so, how exactly is that achieved?

Yes, Azure Synapse Analytics provides real-time analytics capabilities. This is achieved by using a combination of streaming data and historical data to provide insights in near-real-time. By using both types of data, Azure Synapse Analytics is able to provide a more complete picture of what is happening and identify trends as they are happening.

10. What databases are supported by Azure Synapse Analytics?

Azure Synapse Analytics supports Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, and SQL Server on-premises.

11. What are some advantages of using Azure Synapse Analytics over other cloud-based big data solutions like AWS S3 or IBM Bluemix?

Azure Synapse Analytics is a cloud-based big data solution that offers a number of advantages over other similar solutions. First, it is highly scalable and can easily handle large amounts of data. Second, it offers a number of powerful features for data processing and analysis, including machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities. Finally, it is very easy to use and has a wide range of integrations with other Azure services.

12. Do I need to have my own licenses of SQL Server Enterprise Edition with SA to take advantage of Azure Synapse Analytics?

No, you do not need to have your own licenses of SQL Server Enterprise Edition with SA to take advantage of Azure Synapse Analytics.

13. Can you give me an example of a situation where it would make sense to use Azure Synapse Analytics vs another solution like Azure Databricks?

Azure Synapse Analytics is a cloud-based data warehouse that is optimized for big data workloads. It is a good choice for organizations that need to analyze large amounts of data in near real-time. Azure Databricks is a cloud-based platform that is optimized for Apache Spark workloads. It is a good choice for organizations that need to process large amounts of data in a distributed fashion.

14. What is PolyBase? Why is it important to know about when working with Azure Synapse Analytics?

PolyBase is a technology that allows for the integration of data stored in Hadoop with data stored in a relational database management system (RDBMS), such as Azure Synapse Analytics. This is important to know about because it allows for data to be queried and analyzed from both systems in a single query, which can provide insights that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to obtain.

15. Can you explain the concept of Spark pools in the context of Azure Synapse Analytics?

Spark pools are a way of provisioning dedicated resources for running Spark jobs on Azure Synapse Analytics. This can be helpful in ensuring that Spark jobs have the resources they need to run efficiently, and can also help to improve the performance of Spark jobs.

16. What are the different types of compute nodes available in Azure Synapse Analytics?

There are three types of compute nodes available in Azure Synapse Analytics:

1. Data Warehouse Compute Nodes: These nodes are optimized for data warehousing workloads and can be used for both data warehousing and data analytics workloads.

2. Data Analytics Compute Nodes: These nodes are optimized for data analytics workloads and can be used for both data warehousing and data analytics workloads.

3. Apache Spark Compute Nodes: These nodes are optimized for Apache Spark workloads and can be used for data analytics workloads.

17. What are the differences between dedicated and serverless compute modes in Azure Synapse Analytics?

The main difference between dedicated and serverless compute modes is that dedicated mode offers more control over performance and scalability, while serverless mode is more cost-effective and easier to set up. In dedicated mode, you can choose the number of workers and the size of the data warehouse, while in serverless mode, Azure Synapse Analytics automatically scales the compute resources based on the workload.

18. What are some limitations of Azure Synapse Analytics?

Some potential limitations of Azure Synapse Analytics include:

-The service is still in preview, so it may be subject to change
-It may not be compatible with all data sources
-It may not be able to handle very large data sets

19. Are there any security considerations related to using Azure Synapse Analytics?

Yes, there are a few security considerations to keep in mind when using Azure Synapse Analytics. First, you should make sure that your data is encrypted both in transit and at rest. Second, you should consider using Azure Active Directory to control access to your data and ensure that only authorized users can access it. Finally, you should monitor your Synapse Analytics environment for any suspicious activity.

20. What is the best way to secure data stored in Azure Synapse Analytics Workspace?

The best way to secure data stored in Azure Synapse Analytics Workspace is to use Azure Active Directory (AD) authentication and authorization. Azure AD provides a centralized identity management and security solution that can be used to secure data stored in Azure Synapse Analytics Workspace.