Databricks exam Q3: Control plane hosts web app
Source: itexams.com
TL;DR
- The page presents question 3 from the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate practice exam on classic architecture.
- It asks which component is hosted completely in the control plane, with options: A. Worker node, B. JDBC data source, C. Databricks web application, D. Databricks Filesystem, E. Driver node.
- Correct answer is C, as the web app runs fully in Databricks-managed control plane, unlike data plane elements.[[1]](https://www.itexams.com/exam/Certified-Data-Engineer-Associate)[[2]](https://www.examtopics.com/exams/databricks/certified-data-engineer-associate/view/)
The story at a glance
This ITExams.com page shows a single practice question (question 3, Topic Exam A) for the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate exam. It tests knowledge of Databricks' classic two-plane architecture: control plane (Databricks-managed) and data plane (customer cloud). The page is part of a 225-question practice set, with the full exam behind a login on the specific URL.[[1]](https://www.itexams.com/exam/Certified-Data-Engineer-Associate)
Key points
- Question: "Which of the following is hosted completely in the control plane of the classic Databricks architecture?"
- Options: A. Worker node (data plane), B. JDBC data source (external), C. Databricks web application (control plane), D. Databricks Filesystem (data plane storage), E. Driver node (data plane).[[1]](https://www.itexams.com/exam/Certified-Data-Engineer-Associate)
- Correct answer: C. Databricks web application, per practice sites like ITExams and ExamTopics.[[2]](https://www.examtopics.com/exams/databricks/certified-data-engineer-associate/view/)
- Control plane handles UI, APIs, workspace management; data plane runs clusters and storage in user's cloud.[[3]](https://www.examtopics.com/discussions/databricks/view/104049-exam-certified-data-engineer-associate-topic-1-question-3)
Details and context
Databricks classic architecture splits responsibilities: control plane (Databricks cloud) manages metadata, user interface, and orchestration; data plane (customer's AWS/Azure/GCP) handles compute and data to keep customer data isolated.[[3]](https://www.examtopics.com/discussions/databricks/view/104049-exam-certified-data-engineer-associate-topic-1-question-3)
Worker nodes and driver nodes are cluster VMs in the data plane. DBFS uses customer object storage. JDBC sources are outside both planes.
This question appears consistently across practice resources, confirming C as standard answer, though official Databricks docs describe planes without listing every component verbatim.[[3]](https://www.examtopics.com/discussions/databricks/view/104049-exam-certified-data-engineer-associate-topic-1-question-3)
Key quotes
"In the classic Databricks architecture, the control plane includes components like the Databricks web application, the Databricks REST API, and the Databricks Workspace."[[3]](https://www.examtopics.com/discussions/databricks/view/104049-exam-certified-data-engineer-associate-topic-1-question-3)
— ExamTopics discussion
Why it matters
Understanding Databricks' control and data planes is core to the certification, affecting security, management, and troubleshooting in lakehouse setups. For data engineers, it means knowing web app access is secure via Databricks, while data stays in your cloud—key for compliance. Watch Databricks docs for architecture updates, as "classic" may evolve with Unity Catalog or serverless options.