AZ-305 Design data storage solutions Practice Question
A startup is building a new mobile app backend. They need a fully managed relational database service with built-in high availability, automatic backups, and built-in intelligence to optimize performance. They want to minimize administrative overhead for tasks like patching and scaling. Which Azure service should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'fully managed' with 'IaaS' or pick Azure Database for MySQL because it is also fully managed, but they overlook the specific requirement for 'built-in intelligence to optimize performance,' which is a hallmark of Azure SQL Database's automatic tuning features, not available in Azure Database for MySQL.
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
✓
Azure SQL Database
Azure SQL Database is a fully managed Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) relational database that includes built-in high availability (99.99% SLA), automatic backups with point-in-time restore, and built-in intelligence features like automatic tuning, adaptive query processing, and intelligent insights. This minimizes administrative overhead for patching, scaling, and performance optimization, making it ideal for a startup that wants to focus on app development rather than database management.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Azure SQL Database
Why this is correct
Azure SQL Database is the correct choice because it is a fully managed Platform-as-a-Service relational database that eliminates patching, backups, and high-availability configuration. Its built-in intelligent query optimization, automatic tuning, and geo-replication capabilities align directly with the requirement for a fully managed backend. You simply provision the logical server and database, and Azure handles infrastructure redundancy, automated backups with point-in-time restore, and a 99.99% SLA, freeing your team to focus on application development.
- ✗
SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines
Why it's wrong here
SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines is a Infrastructure-as-a-Service offering where you retain full administrative control over the OS and SQL Server instance. This means you are responsible for installing SQL Server, applying monthly Windows and SQL Server patches, managing backups, configuring high availability through Always On Availability Groups, and monitoring performance. Because the scenario demands a fully managed service, the patching, backup, and HA management overhead on VMs directly violates that requirement and adds significant operational burden.
- ✗
Azure Database for MySQL
Why it's wrong here
Azure Database for MySQL is fully managed but is a different relational database engine, not SQL Server; the question does not specify engine but for a new mobile app backend, Azure SQL Database is commonly chosen.
- ✗
Azure Cosmos DB
Why it's wrong here
Azure Cosmos DB is a globally distributed, multi-model NoSQL database that supports document, key-value, graph, and column-family APIs. It is schema-agnostic and lacks true relational features such as SQL Server-style T-SQL, foreign key constraints, and expressive relational joins, which are typically required for a structured mobile app backend. The scenario implies a need for a fully managed relational database service rather than a NoSQL store, so Cosmos DB's non-relational data model makes it an incorrect fit.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This AZ-305 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-305 exam.