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Azure DP-100 Glossary: Key Terms

Azure DP-100 glossary of data prep, training, deployment, and machine learning operations terms.

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Use this glossary when Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate (DP-100) terms start to blur together. The goal is practical recognition, not encyclopedia coverage.

Core terms

Term Exam meaning
MLOps Operational practices for training, deploying, monitoring, and governing machine learning models.
GenAIOps Operational practices for generative AI apps, including prompts, retrieval, tools, safety, and evaluation.
Model registry A controlled place to version, approve, and deploy models.
Drift Change in data or behavior that can degrade model performance after deployment.
Pipeline Repeatable workflow for data preparation, training, evaluation, and deployment.
IaC Infrastructure as code: provisioning environments with repeatable definitions rather than manual clicks.

Confusion pairs

Pair How to separate them
MLOps infrastructure vs Model lifecycle Ask which layer the scenario is testing, then match the answer to that layer only.
Control vs evidence A control changes behavior; evidence proves behavior or supports investigation.
Managed service vs custom build Managed services win for lower operational effort unless the requirement needs unsupported customization.
Prevention vs detection Prevention blocks or reduces a bad event; detection finds or reports that it happened.

How to study terms

Do not memorize terms in isolation. For each term, write one scenario where it is the best answer, one scenario where it is a distractor, and one signal that proves it worked.

Revised on Sunday, May 10, 2026