Microsoft Azure Architect Design (AZ-301) Practice Exam

The recommended Azure service for migrating SQL databases that emphasizes reduced management overhead and supports Active Directory authentication is Azure SQL Database Managed Instance. This service combines the best features of both Azure SQL Database and on-premises SQL Server, providing a fully managed, scalable, and high-performance database service with compatibility for many SQL Server features.

Azure SQL Database Managed Instance offers easier migration options for existing SQL Server databases, as it supports a wide range of SQL Server features, including those that Active Directory authentication can leverage. It requires minimal administrative effort compared to hosting SQL Server on Azure virtual machines because it abstracts the infrastructure management, allowing organizations to focus on their applications.

Other services like Azure SQL Database single databases and elastic pools are primarily focused on smaller or more specific architectural scopes and may not fully cater to all the laid-down requirements, including management overhead alleviation for larger, more complex environments. SQL Server 2016 on Azure virtual machines, while providing full control and SQL Server feature support, does not reduce management overhead effectively as it requires you to manage the underlying VMs and OS, which can complicate the overall administration compared to a fully managed instance.