Azure Synapse Serverless SQL Pool Storage Location
Short answer
A in a file in a data lake
Question
Key Takeaways
The exam tests the distinction between dedicated and serverless SQL pools, with the common trap being confusion over temporary tables which are not supported in the same way as dedicated pools.
This question tests knowledge of Azure Synapse Analytics serverless SQL pool capabilities, specifically regarding external data storage. The community consensus confirms that serverless pools interact with Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 for storing and querying data.
Common mistake: Candidates often choose C or D because they assume standard T-SQL behavior where results might be stored in temp tables; however, serverless pools do not support these traditional table types for persistent storage.
Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
Serverless SQL pools in Azure Synapse Analytics are designed to query data directly from Azure Data Lake Storage (ADLS) Gen2 without needing to provision infrastructure. When you execute queries or create external tables, the data resides in the underlying data lake files (typically Parquet, CSV, etc.), making option A the correct choice.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Options B, C, and D are incorrect because serverless SQL pools do not maintain a persistent relational database schema or support global/session temporary tables in the manner of dedicated SQL pools. They operate on a serverless basis, meaning there is no underlying SQL engine instance storing data in traditional database structures.
Community Comment Notes
Comments [1] and [2] correctly cite Microsoft documentation confirming that serverless pools query and store data from ADLS. Comment [3] succinctly notes the absence of tables in serverless pools, reinforcing why options C and D are invalid.
Official Reference
This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.
Exam Strategy
Memorize the architectural differences between Dedicated and Serverless SQL pools. Specifically, remember that Serverless does not support permanent tables or tempdb, relying entirely on external data sources like ADLS.
Community Votes
100% of anonymous learners picked answer A. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Discussion 8 contributions
Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.
From public community threads 8
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jongert 👍 5Correct: Serverless SQL pools can query, import, and store data from Azure Blob Storage, Azure Data Lake Storage Gen1 and Gen2. Serverless does not support TYPE=Hadoop. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/statements/create-external-table-transact-sql?view=azure-sqldw-latest&tabs=dedicated#overview-azure-synapse-analytics
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mav2000 👍 4Correct "DATA_SOURCE = external_data_source_name Specifies the name of the external data source that contains the location of the external data. This location is in Azure Data Lake" https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/statements/create-external-table-transact-sql?view=azure-sqldw-latest&tabs=dedicated#overview-azure-synapse-analytics
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MohamedBI12 👍 2 Answered Atheir is no Tables with servless pool
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moize 👍 1Bonne réponse : A. Lien est : https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/statements/create-external-table-transact-sql?view=azure-sqldw-latest&tabs=dedicated#overview-azure-synapse-analytics
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KarlGardnerDataEngineering 👍 1How do we know this is ADLS (data lake) storage? Can't it be plain blob storage as well?
Show 3 more comments
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vernillen 👍 1 Answered AA is the correct one
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mavdplas 👍 1 Answered AAnswer A
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swathi_rs 👍 1 Answered ACorrect
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