Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →Question 161 of 324
mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
AZ-204 Practice Question: Table Storage partition key design for…
This AZ-204 practice question tests your understanding of table storage partition key design for…. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. A key principle to apply: azure Table Storage. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An application stores sensor readings in Azure Table Storage. Each sensor produces thousands of readings per hour. Queries always filter by sensor ID and time range. A developer needs to choose the partition key and row key. Which design best balances query performance and write throughput?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Best answer
Partition key: sensor ID; row key: ISO timestamp of the reading
Co-locating readings by sensor ID allows the storage engine to scan only that partition for time-range queries. Timestamp row keys are naturally ordered, so range queries resolve efficiently without scanning unrelated partitions.
B
Distractor review
Partition key: a single constant ('all-sensors'); row key: sensor ID + timestamp
A single partition for all sensors creates a hot partition. Every write lands in one partition, which Table Storage rate-limits at the partition level. This becomes a bottleneck at high write volumes.
C
Distractor review
Partition key: timestamp (rounded to the hour); row key: sensor ID
Partitioning by time means queries filtering by sensor ID must scan all partitions, because a sensor's readings are spread across many time-based partitions. This eliminates the locality benefit of partitioning.
D
Distractor review
Partition key: random GUID per reading; row key: timestamp
Random GUIDs as partition keys distribute writes evenly but destroy locality completely. Querying by sensor ID requires scanning all partitions, making range queries O(n) across the entire table.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Azure Table Storage
- partition key design
- row key ordering
- hot partition
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Azure Table Storage
Related practice questions
Related AZ-204 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
An application stores customer invoices in Azure Blob Storage. Deleted blobs must be recoverable for 14 days. What should be enabled?
Question 2
You are deploying a containerized application to Azure Container Instances. The application requires a custom domain name and SSL/TLS termination. You need to configure these features. Which resource should you create alongside the container group?
Question 3
A developer needs to run a Kusto query against application request data to identify 95th percentile latency by operation. Where should the query be run? The architecture review board prefers a managed AWS-native control.
Question 4
You are developing a web app that authenticates users via Microsoft Entra ID. The app needs to read the user's profile and send emails on their behalf. You want to minimize user consent prompts. Which OAuth 2.0 grant type should you use?
Question 5
You are developing an Azure Function that processes messages from an Azure Service Bus queue. The function uses a Service Bus queue trigger and runs on a Consumption Plan. The queue receives a high volume of messages in bursts. You need to ensure that the function scales out to handle the load but does not exceed 10 concurrent instances. Which configuration should you apply?
Question 6
You are monitoring an Azure App Service using Application Insights. You notice that the server response time is high for certain requests. You need to drill down to see which external dependencies (like databases or APIs) are causing the delay. Which Application Insights feature should you use?
Practice this exam
Start a free AZ-204 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-204 question test?
Azure Table Storage
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Partition key: sensor ID; row key: ISO timestamp of the reading — Using sensor ID as the partition key co-locates all readings for a sensor in the same partition, enabling efficient range scans within a sensor. Using an ISO timestamp as the row key provides lexicographic ordering, making time-range queries on a single sensor fast without a full table scan. This is the standard time-series design for Table Storage.
What should I do if I get this AZ-204 question wrong?
Review azure Table Storage, then practise related AZ-204 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Discussion
Loading comments…
Sign in to join the discussion.
This AZ-204 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the AZ-204 exam.