Reviewed by Aditya Kumar · Last reviewed 2026-03-24
Architecture: Linked Services (connections) → Datasets (data refs) → Pipelines (orchestration) → Activities (Copy, Lookup, etc.) → Triggers (schedule/event) → IR (Azure/SHIR/SSIS) executes. Flow: Trigger → Pipeline → Activities use Datasets via Linked Services; IR runs. Why...
Architecture: Linked Services (connections) → Datasets (data refs) → Pipelines (orchestration) → Activities (Copy, Lookup, etc.) → Triggers (schedule/event) → IR (Azure/SHIR/SSIS) executes. Flow: Trigger → Pipeline → Activities use Datasets via Linked Services; IR runs. Why each: Separation of connection, data, and orchestration. Best practice: Parameterize; Key Vault; choose IR by data location.
Red Flag: Confusing dataset with linked service. Pro-Move: 'We model it as: LS = who, Dataset = what, Pipeline = when and how—clean separation.'
According to DataEngPrep.tech, this is one of the most frequently asked Cloud/Tools interview questions, reported at 1 company. DataEngPrep.tech maintains an editor-reviewed database of 1,863 data engineering interview questions across 7 categories.