Which service provides data scanning and classification as a managed service in Azure?

Azure Purview is the service designed specifically for data scanning and classification within the Azure ecosystem. It provides a robust platform for data governance by enabling organizations to automate the discovery and classification of data assets across various data sources. This service helps enhance the understanding of where sensitive data resides, what type of data is being handled, and allows for better data management practices through its cataloging features.

Through Azure Purview, users can scan their data sources, gain insights about the data, and apply necessary compliance requirements for handling sensitive information. The ability to classify data automatically based on pre-defined policies allows organizations to effectively manage their risk and ensure adherence to regulatory standards.

The other options—while they serve important roles in Azure's data management landscape—do not specifically focus on data scanning and classification as a managed service. Azure Synapse Analytics is more focused on integrating big data and data warehousing. Azure Data Lake Storage is designed for storing large amounts of unstructured data, and Azure SQL Database primarily handles relational database management. Thus, these services serve different purposes compared to the specialized data governance offered by Azure Purview.