AZ-305 Design data storage solutions Practice Question
A global e-commerce platform uses Azure Cosmos DB for its product catalog. The application requires multi-region writes to provide low-latency updates from any geographic location. Two users may update the same product item concurrently, so the solution must automatically resolve conflicts. For real-time inventory checks, reads must be strongly consistent, while product description reads can be eventually consistent. Which Cosmos DB configuration should they choose?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often assume all Cosmos DB APIs support multi-region writes and per-request strong consistency equally, but only the SQL API (and the Table API with specific limitations) offers the full flexibility to mix consistency levels per request, while the MongoDB, Cassandra, and Table APIs have fixed account-level consistency or lack multi-region write support entirely.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
SQL API with multi-region writes, last-writer-wins conflict resolution, and per-request strong consistency
The SQL API in Cosmos DB supports multi-region writes with last-writer-wins (LWW) conflict resolution using a timestamp or custom property, which automatically resolves concurrent updates to the same product item. Per-request strong consistency allows inventory reads to achieve linearizability by setting the consistency level at the request level, while product description reads can use the default session or eventual consistency for performance. This combination meets all requirements: multi-region writes, automatic conflict resolution, and the ability to mix strong and eventual consistency on a per-request basis.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
SQL API with multi-region writes, last-writer-wins conflict resolution, and per-request strong consistency
Why this is correct
SQL API supports multi-master writes, customizable conflict resolution, and the ability to set strong consistency on a per-request basis.
- ✗
MongoDB API with multi-region writes and automatic conflict resolution
Why it's wrong here
The MongoDB API does not support strong consistency across regions; it is limited to eventual consistency when using multi-region writes.
- ✗
Table API with multi-region writes and strong consistency
Why it's wrong here
The Table API does not support strong consistency in a multi-region write scenario; it is eventually consistent.
- ✗
Cassandra API with multi-region writes and strong consistency
Why it's wrong here
The Cassandra API in Cosmos DB does not support strong consistency; it is eventually consistent with configurable consistency levels.
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