The correct workflow step is Option C because it uses the Azure SQL GitHub Action to publish a .dacpac file and reads the connection string from GitHub repository secrets , which is exactly what the requirement asks for. Microsoft's Azure SQL GitHub Actions guidance shows using azure/sql-action@v2 with a connection string stored in secrets and a DACPAC path for deployment.
The key parts that make C correct are:
* uses: azure/sql-action@v2
* action: publish
* path: bin/Debug/db1.dacpac
* connection-string: ${{ secrets.SQL_CONNECTION_STRING }}
That matches the documented publish pattern for deploying a DACPAC to Azure SQL Database from GitHub Actions. Microsoft and the Azure SQL action documentation both describe Publish as the deployment action for applying a DACPAC to a target database, while Extract is used to create a DACPAC from an existing database, not deploy one.
Why the other options are incorrect:
* A uses an environment variable defined inline with a visible connection string rather than using GitHub repository secrets , which does not meet the requirement.
* B uses action: extract, which would create a DACPAC from a database instead of publishing the existing DACPAC artifact.
* D passes a target connection string to dotnet build, but the question says the workflow already runs dotnet build and produces a database artifact . The missing step is the deployment/publish step, not another build step. Microsoft's SQL project automation guidance separates build the DACPAC from publish the DACPAC .