DP-900 Practice Exam 56 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A healthcare organization needs to store patient records that must be immutable and cannot be modified or deleted for 7 years due to regulatory compliance. Which Azure feature should they use?

Accepted Answer

Azure Blob Storage immutable storage. Azure Blob Storage immutable storage is correct because it provides WORM (Write Once, Read Many) capabilities that prevent data from being modified or deleted for a specified retention period. This directly meets the regulatory requirement for patient records to remain immutable for 7 years, as the policy is enforced at the storage level and cannot be overridden by any user, including administrators.

Answer

Microsoft Purview

Answer

Azure Policy

Answer

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Question 2

A company uses Azure Databricks for data engineering. The team wants to implement a medallion architecture (bronze, silver, gold) to organize data quality layers. In which layer should data be stored in a format optimized for analytics and reporting?

Accepted Answer

Gold layer. The gold layer in a medallion architecture contains data that has been refined, aggregated, and validated for business-level analytics and reporting. This layer stores data in a format optimized for query performance, such as Delta Lake with partitioning and Z-ordering, enabling efficient consumption by tools like Power BI or Azure Synapse.

Answer

Bronze layer

Answer

Silver layer

Answer

Lakehouse layer

Question 3

A company uses Azure SQL Database for a customer relationship management (CRM) application. The database has a table named Orders that stores order details. The company needs to ensure that the OrderDate column is automatically set to the current date and time when a new row is inserted, without any application-side logic. Which T-SQL construct should be used?

Accepted Answer

DEFAULT constraint with GETDATE(). A DEFAULT constraint with GETDATE() automatically inserts the current date and time into the OrderDate column when a new row is inserted and no value is specified. This is a server-side solution that requires no application logic, ensuring consistency and reducing code complexity.

Answer

CHECK constraint

Answer

UNIQUE constraint

Answer

PRIMARY KEY constraint

Question 4

A company has an Azure SQL Database that stores sensitive financial data. They need to ensure that database administrators (DBAs) cannot view the actual data but can still perform administrative tasks. Which feature should they implement?

Accepted Answer

Dynamic data masking. Dynamic data masking hides sensitive data from non-privileged users, including DBAs if they are not exempted. Option A is wrong because Azure RBAC controls access but doesn't mask data. Option C is wrong because TDE encrypts at rest but does not hide data from DBAs. Option D is wrong because Azure SQL Database auditing logs actions but doesn't prevent viewing.

Answer

Azure role-based access control (RBAC)

Answer

Transparent data encryption (TDE)

Answer

Azure SQL Database auditing

Question 5

A media publishing company stores high-resolution images and video files for their website. These files are large (hundreds of MBs each) and are accessed only a few times per month, but when accessed, they must be delivered within seconds. Additionally, they need to store a small amount of metadata (e.g., upload date, author) for each file. Which Azure service should they use for storing the binary files?

Accepted Answer

Azure Blob Storage. Azure Blob Storage is designed for storing massive amounts of unstructured binary data, such as high-resolution images and video files. It supports objects up to 4.75 TB in size, offers tiered storage (including cool and archive tiers) to optimize cost for infrequently accessed data, and provides low-latency access (typically under 10 seconds) for retrieval when needed. This makes it the ideal choice for the media publishing company's requirements.

Answer

Azure Table Storage

Answer

Azure File Storage

Answer

Azure Queue Storage

Question 6

Which TWO features are supported by Azure SQL Database to provide high availability?

Accepted Answer

Active geo-replication. Active geo-replication (C) is correct because Azure SQL Database supports it as a built-in feature that continuously replicates a database to up to four readable secondary databases in different Azure regions, enabling fast manual failover to maintain availability during a regional outage. Auto-failover groups (D) is correct because it builds on active geo-replication to provide automatic failover of a group of databases to a secondary region, along with read-write and read-only listener endpoints, ensuring high availability without manual intervention. Always On availability groups (A) is not a native Azure SQL Database feature; it applies to SQL Server on Azure VMs and Azure SQL Managed Instance, not the PaaS single-database/multi-database model. Point-in-time restore (B) is a backup-based data recovery feature for restoring a database to an earlier state, not a high-availability mechanism. Log shipping (E) is a SQL Server disaster-recovery technique that is not offered as a built-in high-availability feature in Azure SQL Database.

Answer

Always On availability groups

Answer

Point-in-time restore

Answer

Log shipping

Question 7

Which TWO of the following are true about Azure Cosmos DB?

Accepted Answer

It guarantees single-digit millisecond latency for reads and writes at the 99th percentile.. Option C is correct because Azure Cosmos DB is designed and SLA-backed to deliver single-digit millisecond latency for reads and writes at the 99th percentile, which is one of its core differentiators as a globally distributed database. Option E is correct because Cosmos DB is a multi-model database that natively supports document (SQL/Core API), key-value (Table API), graph (Gremlin API), and column-family (Cassandra API) data models. Option A is incorrect because the default consistency level in Cosmos DB is Session, not Strong; Strong is the strongest of the five levels but is not the default. Option B is incorrect because Cosmos DB measures throughput in Request Units per second (RU/s), whereas DTUs are the performance unit used by Azure SQL Database. Option D is incorrect because Cosmos DB is a NoSQL, multi-model database service, not a relational database management system.

Answer

The default consistency level is Strong.

Answer

It uses DTUs to measure performance.

Answer

It is a relational database management system.

Question 8

Which TWO of the following are characteristics of Azure Blob Storage?

Accepted Answer

Supports access tiers (Hot, Cool, Archive). Option B is correct because Azure Blob Storage natively supports access tiers — Hot, Cool, Cold, and Archive — allowing you to optimize storage cost versus access latency based on how frequently data is read. Option C is correct because Blob Storage is designed for unstructured data and can store massive binary objects such as videos, images, backups, and disk images, with block blobs supporting up to roughly 190.7 TiB per blob. Option A is incorrect because Blob Storage is schema-less and stores unstructured data, unlike Azure Table Storage or a relational database. Option D is incorrect because ACID transactions across multiple records are a feature of relational databases such as Azure SQL Database, not Blob Storage. Option E is incorrect because Blob Storage supports three blob types — block blobs, append blobs, and page blobs — not only block blobs.

Answer

Enforces a fixed schema for stored data

Answer

Provides ACID transactions across multiple records

Answer

Only supports block blobs

Question 9

Which THREE factors should you consider when choosing between Azure Blob Storage and Azure Cosmos DB for a new application? (Choose three.)

Accepted Answer

Global distribution and multi-region writes. Option A is correct because Cosmos DB natively provides turnkey global distribution with multi-region writes across any Azure region, whereas Blob Storage replication options (LRS/ZRS/GRS/RA-GRS) do not offer writable multi-region endpoints, making this a key differentiator for globally distributed apps. Option B is correct because Blob Storage is designed for unstructured data (blobs, files, media) while Cosmos DB targets semi-structured JSON documents with a defined schema-less model, so the shape of the data drives the choice. Option E is correct because Cosmos DB supports rich querying via SQL, MongoDB, Gremlin, and Cassandra APIs with indexing, while Blob Storage only offers simple key-based access and limited querying through blob index tags. Option C is not a differentiator because both services encrypt data at rest by default using AES-256 (Storage Service Encryption and Cosmos DB encryption at rest), so it does not help choose between them. Option D is not a differentiator because both services offer very high scalability limits (Blob Storage scales to petabytes and high request rates; Cosmos DB scales to unlimited RU/s and storage), so scalability alone does not distinguish them.

Answer

Encryption at rest support

Answer

Scalability limits

Question 10

Which TWO Azure services can be used to store relational data?

Accepted Answer

Azure SQL Database. Azure SQL Database (A) is correct because it is a fully managed relational database service built on the Microsoft SQL Server engine, storing data in tables with schemas, primary/foreign keys, and T-SQL query support. Azure Database for PostgreSQL (C) is also correct because it is a managed relational database service based on the open-source PostgreSQL engine, supporting relational tables, ACID transactions, and SQL queries. Azure Cosmos DB (B) is a globally distributed NoSQL database offering multiple non-relational APIs (SQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, Gremlin, Table), so it is not a relational data store. Azure Blob Storage (D) is object storage for unstructured data such as files, images, and backups, not relational tables. Azure Table Storage (E) is a NoSQL key-attribute store for structured non-relational data, lacking relational schema and join capabilities.

Answer

Azure Cosmos DB

Answer

Azure Blob Storage

Answer

Azure Table Storage

Question 11

A data analyst needs to create an interactive report that combines sales data from Azure SQL Database and Azure Cosmos DB. The report must refresh daily. Which tool should they use?

Accepted Answer

Power BI. Power BI is the correct tool because it is designed for creating interactive reports and dashboards, and it can directly connect to both Azure SQL Database and Azure Cosmos DB as data sources. Its scheduled refresh capability allows the report to refresh daily without manual intervention, meeting the requirement for an interactive, combined report.

Answer

Azure Data Factory

Answer

Azure Synapse Studio

Answer

Azure Analysis Services

Question 12

A company has an existing on-premises SQL Server database that is 500 GB in size. The database uses SQL Server Agent jobs for scheduled maintenance and linked servers to query data from a remote SQL Server instance. The company wants to migrate to Azure with minimal application changes and needs automated backups and patching. Which Azure SQL service should they choose?

Accepted Answer

Azure SQL Managed Instance. Azure SQL Managed Instance is correct because it provides near 100% compatibility with on-premises SQL Server, including support for SQL Server Agent jobs and linked servers, while offering automated backups and patching. This minimizes application changes during migration, unlike other Azure SQL options that lack these features.

Answer

Azure SQL Database

Answer

SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines

Answer

Azure Database for PostgreSQL

Question 13

A healthcare organization stores patient appointment data in an Azure SQL Database. The Appointments table contains columns: AppointmentID (int, primary key), PatientID (int), AppointmentDate (datetime2), and Status (varchar(20)). Most queries filter by AppointmentDate to retrieve appointments for a specific day, and the table currently has no indexes other than the clustered index on AppointmentID. The database administrator needs to improve the performance of these date-based queries while minimizing the impact on insert operations for new appointments. What should the administrator do?

Accepted Answer

Create a nonclustered index on the AppointmentDate column.. The queries frequently filter on AppointmentDate, so an index on that column enables the database engine to locate matching rows efficiently without scanning the whole table. A nonclustered index is preferred because it improves read performance for the date filter while keeping the existing clustered index on AppointmentID intact. It also imposes less disruption on insert operations than changing the clustered index, balancing performance and maintenance.

Answer

Create a filtered index on the Status column where Status = 'Completed'.

Answer

Create a columnstore index on the Appointments table.

Answer

Create a clustered index on the AppointmentDate column.

Question 14

A retail company ingests point-of-sale data into Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2, where it lands as CSV files. The analytics team wants to create a curated, query-optimized layer that can be consumed by Power BI and Azure Synapse Analytics. They plan to use Azure Databricks to transform the raw data. Which two capabilities does Azure Databricks provide for this analytics workload? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

It provides an Apache Spark-based engine that can process large volumes of data in parallel.. Azure Databricks is a first-party Azure service built on Apache Spark, offering a collaborative notebook-based workspace and a distributed processing engine. For the retail company, these two capabilities directly support transforming raw CSV data into a curated, query-optimized layer. The other options describe features of different services or incorrect limitations, so they do not apply here.

Answer

It stores data in a proprietary format that cannot be read by other Azure services.

Answer

It provides a fully managed extract, transform, and load (ETL) service with a drag-and-drop visual interface.

Answer

It automatically creates a dedicated SQL pool for each notebook session.

Question 15

A healthcare organization is designing a new patient records system on Azure. They require a relational database that supports full SQL Server compatibility, including cross-database queries and SQL Server Agent jobs, and they want to minimize administrative overhead while retaining the ability to manage logins and server-level permissions. Which Azure SQL deployment option best meets these requirements?

Accepted Answer

Azure SQL Managed Instance. Azure SQL Managed Instance is the only Azure SQL deployment option that provides near-full SQL Server compatibility while minimizing administrative overhead. It supports cross-database queries, SQL Server Agent, and server-level logins, which are essential for the healthcare organization's requirements. Single database lacks these features, SQL Server on VMs requires more management, and PostgreSQL is a different engine.

Answer

SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines

Answer

Azure Database for PostgreSQL

Answer

Azure SQL Database single database

Question 16

A retail company stores product catalog data in Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL. Each product document has a unique 'id' and a 'category' field. The application performs frequent queries that filter by 'category' and retrieve a few products at a time. To optimize performance and cost, you need to choose an appropriate partition key. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Use 'category' as the partition key.. Choosing 'category' as the partition key aligns with the frequent query pattern that filters by category. This allows those queries to be served from a single logical partition, minimizing cross-partition fan-out and reducing latency and RU consumption. It also supports horizontal scaling as long as categories are sufficiently diverse and no single category becomes an extreme hot partition.

Answer

Use 'id' as the partition key.

Answer

Create a synthetic partition key by concatenating 'category' and 'id'.

Answer

Use a fixed partition key value such as 'product'.

Question 17

A company is deploying a new application on Azure and needs a relational database service that automatically scales compute and storage, provides built-in high availability, and requires no management of the underlying operating system. They also want to pay only for what they use. Which Azure service should they choose?

Accepted Answer

Azure SQL Database. Azure SQL Database is the correct choice because it is a fully managed relational database platform as a service (PaaS) that automatically handles scaling, high availability, and maintenance. It requires no OS management and offers consumption-based pricing. The other options either involve more management overhead or are not relational database services.

Answer

Azure Database for MySQL

Answer

Azure Cosmos DB

Answer

SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines

Question 18

A city transit authority needs to store monthly ridership counts by route. Each record consists of a route number, a month, and a total passenger count. The data will be loaded into a table with fixed columns and analyzed with aggregate queries. Which type of data does this scenario describe?

Accepted Answer

Structured data. The scenario describes records with a defined tabular schema and numeric measures that are aggregated, which is the defining characteristic of structured data. Semi-structured and unstructured formats lack this rigid row-and-column organization, and streaming describes how data arrives rather than its structure. Structured storage in a relational table is the natural fit for monthly ridership reporting.

Answer

Unstructured data

Answer

Semi-structured data

Answer

Streaming data

Question 19

A news organization stores article drafts in Azure Blob Storage. Each draft is a JSON document whose fields vary depending on the article type, and some fields are nested objects. Editors need to retrieve individual fields without loading whole documents. Which data type classification best describes these drafts?

Accepted Answer

Semi-structured data. Semi-structured data sits between structured and unstructured: it carries tags, keys, or hierarchies that allow field-level access but does not enforce one schema across all records. The variable, nested JSON drafts match that definition precisely. Structured data demands uniform columns, unstructured data offers no queryable field model, and relational data describes a storage model rather than this data's structural class.

Answer

Unstructured data

Answer

Relational data

Answer

Structured data

Question 20

A healthcare organization needs to store patient records that must be immutable and cannot be modified or deleted for 7 years due to regulatory compliance. Which Azure feature should they use?

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

Azure Blob Storage with blob index tags. Azure Blob Storage with blob index tags is the best choice because it efficiently stores large unstructured files, supports metadata-based querying through index tags, and offers cost-effective storage tiers for long-term retention. This combination meets the requirements for storing and querying patient records while minimizing costs.

Answer

Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL

Answer

Azure SQL Database with FileTable

Answer

Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2