You are preparing a database export for deployment to a new environment. Which export format should you use to include schema and data for deployment to Azure SQL?

BACPAC files are self-contained, compressed packages that include both the schema and data of a SQL Server database. This makes them ideal for exporting a database for deployment to Azure SQL Database or Azure SQL Managed Instance, as they provide a complete snapshot for migration or archiving. NDF (secondary data file) and MDF (master data file) are physical database files used by SQL Server to store data. They are not export formats for deployment across environments and cannot be directly imported into Azure SQL Database. DACPAC (Data-tier Application Package) files contain only the schema of a database, not the data. While useful for schema-only deployments or version control, they are insufficient when data also needs to be migrated.