is it recommended to create and use azure key value while creating linked service for a storage container in ADF (OR) to use Managed Identity?

Question

Hello There,

I am relatively new to learning ADF; while creating linked-service for 'blob' data store, with the default settings:
'using connection string' for authentication type, at the end of creation step, I got the following recommendation:

Linked service will be published immediately
As Data Factory cannot store credentials in a Git repository, this change will be published immediately.
This may cause issues on the Master branch and on published resources that depend on this linked service. To avoid immediately publish of linked services, we recommend using Azure Key Vault.

I have attached screenshot of the recommendation to this post.

My concern is, what should be the ideal approach?

Further, if I publish the created 'linked service' directly with connection string as authentication type, how do I use it to run and test the pipeline? As of now, I haven't run a pipeline yet; everything I have created so far, I did it in Git-Repository mode of ADF.

Would anyone please help me guide through the process and best practice?

Thank you for giving your valuable time and support.

Answer 1

Azure it is best to leverage managed identity wherever possible rather than having credentials stored in key vault as it adds to another security and maintainence layer assuming everything is in same tenant