Answer: in a file in a data lake

## Explanation In Azure Synapse Analytics serverless SQL pools, the `OPENROWSET` function is used to read data directly from files in data storage without creating external tables. The key characteristics of this operation are: **Why Option A (in a file in a data lake) is correct:** - The `OPENROWSET` function with the `BULK` parameter reads data directly from the specified file location in Azure Data Lake Storage - The query returns results directly from the Parquet files without storing them elsewhere - Serverless SQL pools operate in a stateless manner and do not persist query results by default - The data remains in its original location in the data lake throughout the query execution **Why other options are incorrect:** - **Option B (in a relational database):** Serverless SQL pools don't store query results in relational databases by default. Results are returned to the client application directly. - **Option C (in a global temporary table):** Serverless SQL pools don't support creating or using temporary tables (global or session). They are designed for ad-hoc querying of external data. - **Option D (in a session temporary table):** Similar to option C, serverless SQL pools don't support temporary tables. The architecture is built around querying external data sources without local storage. The fundamental principle is that serverless SQL pools provide on-demand query capabilities over data stored in external locations like Azure Data Lake Storage, Azure Blob Storage, or other supported data sources, without requiring data movement or local storage of results.

Author: LeetQuiz Editorial Team