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Relational data

Core

Azure SQL Managed Instance

Managed SQL instance with broad SQL Server compatibility.

Key points

  • Azure SQL Managed Instance provides managed SQL Server instance capabilities with broad compatibility.
  • It removes guest patching while retaining more instance-level behavior than Azure SQL Database.

Best-known use cases

  • Move a compatible instance-dependent SQL workload to a managed service without operating the OS.

What candidates often confuse it with

  • Managed Instance balances instance compatibility and platform management; SQL Database is more database-scoped and SQL Server on VMs offers full control.

Key takeaway

Choose Managed Instance when broad SQL Server instance compatibility is required but guest ownership is not.

Relevant exam tasks

  • D2.1.S1 — Recommend a solution for storing relational data
  • D4.3.S4 — Recommend a solution for migrating databases

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Free Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert prep

Build focused AZ-305 quizzes from skill areas, topics, and product references.

Practice with exam-style multiple-choice and multiple-response questions, score breakdowns, explanations, and a compact reference for this lane's official exam domains.

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Exam Weights

Exam snapshot

AZ-305 at a glance

Level
Expert
Duration
No fixed live duration published
Questions
No fixed live question count published
Formats
No guaranteed question-type mix
Scoring
Scaled score; 700 minimum passing score

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Mode

Exam fidelity: Microsoft does not publish a fixed live question count or guarantee a question-type mix for AZ-305. This lane contains multiple-choice exam-style practice; no supplemental matching, ordering, or case-study exercises were needed. Practice percentages do not reproduce Microsoft's scaled scoring, and difficulty labels describe this site's Expert-level architecture and trade-off complexity rather than a Microsoft-published question rating.

Reference

AZ-305 topics and reference map

Study links

AZ-305 resources

Official Microsoft resources

AZ-305 official study guide

The live Microsoft guide with the April 17, 2026 skills-measured date, domain ranges, and 49 detailed objectives.

AZ-305 official exam page

Official exam status, passing score, language availability, preparation resources, and scheduling path.

Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification

Official certification overview, role profile, certification requirement, and learning paths.

AZ-305T00-A Design Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions course

Official four-day instructor-led architecture course for AZ-305 preparation.