A company runs a data analytics application that stores large volumes of structured data in a relational format. The data is write-intensive and the application needs to scale horizontally for high throughput. The solution must support SQL queries, including joins and ACID transactions. Which Azure database service should they choose?
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.
Best answer
Azure Database for PostgreSQL - Hyperscale (Citus)
Citus is a managed PostgreSQL service that scales out horizontally across multiple nodes and supports full SQL, joins, and ACID transactions.
Distractor review
Azure SQL Database Hyperscale
Hyperscale is a single database with read scale-out but does not provide horizontal sharding across multiple databases.
Distractor review
Azure Cosmos DB (SQL API)
Cosmos DB is a NoSQL database; it does not support SQL joins or ACID transactions across partitions.
Distractor review
Azure Synapse Analytics
Synapse is a data warehouse optimized for analytical queries, not for high-transaction OLTP workloads.
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
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
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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
A company is designing hub-and-spoke networking. Spoke VNets must use a central Azure Firewall for outbound internet traffic. Which two configurations are required?
Question 2
A company is designing private access to a PaaS database from workloads in a VNet. The database should not be reachable over its public endpoint. What should be recommended?
Question 3
A data platform must support analytical queries over petabytes of files in a data lake, while preserving hierarchical namespaces and fine-grained ACLs. Which storage service should you design around?
Question 4
A database workload has an RPO of 15 minutes and an RTO of 4 hours. Cost is more important than near-zero data loss. Which design is usually more appropriate than synchronous multi-region replication?
Question 5
A hub-and-spoke Azure network must centralize outbound inspection and still allow spokes to resolve private endpoint DNS names. Which two components are commonly required? (Choose 2.)
Question 6
A multinational company uses Microsoft Entra ID and several Azure subscriptions. Security administrators need to review privileged role assignments every month and require justification for continued access. Which design should be recommended?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-305 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Azure Database for PostgreSQL - Hyperscale (Citus) — Azure SQL Database Hyperscale is designed for large-scale workloads and offers horizontal scaling through read replicas and high transaction throughput, but it is still a single database. Azure Cosmos DB is NoSQL and does not support relational joins and ACID transactions in the traditional SQL sense. Azure Database for PostgreSQL Hyperscale (Citus) provides horizontal scaling for PostgreSQL with full SQL support, including joins and ACID transactions, making it suitable for write-intensive relational workloads. Azure Synapse Analytics is for data warehousing, not transactional workloads.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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