Microsoft Purview - Data Scanning

@Wilkins Wong - Thanks for the question and using MS Q&A platform.

Microsoft Purview does not lock tables when scanning databases. Instead, it uses a technique called snapshot isolation to ensure that the scan does not interfere with other operations on the database. Snapshot isolation creates a copy of the database at the start of the scan and then scans the copy, leaving the original database untouched. This ensures that the scan does not interfere with other operations on the database.

Regarding data quality scan and data profiling scans, Microsoft Purview does not lock tables either. It uses a similar technique called read committed isolation to ensure that the scan does not interfere with other operations on the database. Read committed isolation ensures that the scan only reads committed data and does not interfere with other transactions that are modifying the data.

As for recommendations and best practices for scanning databases in a production environment, it is recommended to schedule scans during off-peak hours to minimize disruption. Microsoft Purview allows you to schedule scans weekly or monthly at a specific time of your choosing. It is also recommended to work with the administrator of the source you want to scan to identify a time when compute demands on the source are low. This will help ensure that the scan does not interfere with other operations on the database and minimize disruption.

Hope this helps. Do let us know if you any further queries.